INDEPENDENT PARLIAMENTARY STANDARDS AUTHORITY COMMITTEE

Government Procurement Card

Charlie Elphicke: To ask the hon. Member for Broxbourne, representing the Speaker's Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority, pursuant to the answer of 6 September 2011, Official Report, column 366W, on Government Procurement Card, what the (a) date of purchase, (b) amount, (c) supplier and (d) level 3 or enhanced transaction entry was of each transaction undertaken by the authority using the Government Procurement Card from its creation to date.

Charles Walker: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority. I have asked IPSA to reply.
	Letter from Andrew McDonald, 11 October 2011
	As Chief Executive of the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking for details of transactions undertaken on the two Government Procurement Cards held by IPSA staff, pursuant to the answer to question 68889.
	The requested information is being placed in the House of Commons Library.

Government Procurement Card

Charlie Elphicke: To ask the hon. Member for Broxbourne, representing the Speaker's Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority, pursuant to the answer of 6 September 2011, Official Report, column 366W, on Government Procurement Card, if the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority will make it its policy to routinely publish all detailed spending on the Government Procurement Card on its website.

Charles Walker: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority. I have asked IPSA to reply.
	Letter from Andrew McDonald, 11 October 2011
	As Chief Executive of the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking if the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority will make it its policy to routinely publish all detailed spending on the Government Procurement Card on its website.
	IPSA plans to publish routinely details of spending on Government Procurement Cards on its website in due course. We are currently considering the appropriate cycle for publication of this information.

ATTORNEY-GENERAL

Corruption

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Attorney-General what guidance he has issued to Ministers and officials in the Law Officers' Department to ensure their actions are compliant with the UK's obligations under Article 5 of the OECD Anti-Bribery Convention.

Edward Garnier: Guidance on the need for prosecutors to comply with the UK's obligations under article 5 of the OECD Anti-Bribery Convention was most recently issued in March 2010. The guidance was issued jointly by the Director of Public Prosecutions and the Director of the Serious Fraud Office.

Departmental Security

Jon Trickett: To ask the Attorney-General how many people were in possession of a security pass for the Law Officers' departments headquarters, including multi-site headquarters and not including staff or contractors, in each month since May 2010.

Edward Garnier: The information requested is detailed as follows.
	
		
			  Number of passes held by individuals who are not staff or contractors 
			  Treasury Solicitors Department HM Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate Serious Fraud Office 
			 May 2010 16 5 22 
			 June 2010 16 5 23 
			 July 2010 16 5 26 
			 August 2010 17 5 28 
			 September 2010 17 5 29 
			 October 2010 17 5 31 
			 November 2010 19 5 30 
			 December 2010 22 5 26 
			 January 2011 22 5 24 
			 February 2011 23 5 23 
			 March 2011 24 5 26 
			 April 2011 25 2 26 
			 May 2011 26 2 23 
			 June 2011 28 2 24 
			 July 2011 19 2 25 
			 August 2011 20 2 22 
			 September 2011 21 2 22 
			 October 2011 22 0 22 
		
	
	The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) only issues security passes to staff and contractors who need access to its headquarters sites in London and York. All other people are issued with escorted visitor day paper passes, which are issued on the day of the visit and collected by security on exit.
	The Attorney-General's Office (AGO) does not keep a historical record of passes issued for its headquarters but there are currently 23 passes held by individuals who are not staff or contractors. 22 of these are held by staff of the Office for Budget Responsibility who share the building with the AGO.

SCOTLAND

Departmental Security

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what level of security vetting is required for the post of (a) head of communications, (b) deputy head of communications and (c) head of press office in his Department; and if he will list each person who has held these posts since May 2010.

David Mundell: The document HMG Personnel Security Controls is published on the Cabinet Office website and describes the circumstances in which a postholder may be required to undergo national security vetting checks. It would not be appropriate to confirm which specific posts within a Department are the subject of vetting, as this could highlight who within a Department has access to sensitive material and be used for targeting purposes. Since May 2010, the Scotland Office head of communications has been Paul Geoghan and the head of the press office has been Clark Dunn. There has been no deputy head of communications.

Departmental Security

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what level of security vetting is required for (a) grade six and seven, or equivalent, press officers and (b) Ministerial private secretaries in his Department.

David Mundell: The document HMG Personnel Security Controls is published on the Cabinet Office website and describes the circumstances in which a postholder may be required to undergo national security vetting checks. It would not be appropriate to confirm which specific posts within a Department are the subject of vetting, as this could highlight who within a Department has access to sensitive material and be used for targeting purposes.

Departmental Security

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what level of security vetting is required for (a) special advisers and (b) Ministerial-appointed policy advisers in his Department; and if he will list each person who has held these posts since May 2010.

David Mundell: The document HMG Personnel Security Controls is published on the Cabinet Office website and describes the circumstances in which a postholder may be required to undergo national security vetting checks. It would not be appropriate to confirm which specific posts within a Department are the subject of vetting, as this could highlight who within a Department has access to sensitive material and be used for targeting purposes.
	The names of special advisers are published quarterly. The list is available in the Library of the House and can also be accessed on the Cabinet Office website at:
	http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/resource-library/special-adviser-data-releases
	There have been no ministerial-appointed policy advisers in the Scotland Office since May 2010.

Departmental Security

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what company or Government service is used to undertake security vetting at (a) counter terrorist check, (b) security check and (c) developed vetting level in his Department.

David Mundell: The staff in the Scotland Office are employees of other Government bodies mainly the Ministry of Justice and the Scottish Government. It is the responsibility of those bodies to arrange any security vetting.

Departmental Security

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many people were in possession of a security pass for his main Departmental headquarters, including multi-site headquarters and not including staff or contractors, in each month since May 2010.

David Mundell: The main departmental headquarters of the Scotland Office is Dover House, 66 Whitehall. The information is not recorded in the form requested.

Internships

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many unpaid and expenses-only internships (a) his Department and (b) each public body for which he is responsible employed in the last 12 months for which figures are available.

David Mundell: In the last 12 months, the Scotland Office itself has had one unpaid intern as part of the Whitehall Internship Programme. The only public body the Secretary of State for Scotland is responsible for is the Boundary Commission for Scotland, which had no unpaid or expenses-only internships in this period.

Renewable Energy

Ann McKechin: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what discussions he has held with the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills on the location of the proposed Technology and Innovation Centre for renewable energy.

David Mundell: Decisions on the location of Technology and Innovation Centres, including the Offshore Renewables TIC, are a matter for the Technology Strategy Board, following a process of engagement with business and the research base. Scottish businesses and universities have been actively involved in this programme, and in developing the three TICs announced to date, including High Value Manufacturing and Cell Therapy as well as Offshore Renewables. I am in regular contact with the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, the right hon. Member for Twickenham (Vince Cable), to stay apprised of progress on this and other matters.

HOUSE OF COMMONS COMMISSION

Parking

Greg Knight: To ask the hon. Member for Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross, representing the House of Commons Commission, whether the major refurbishment of the House of Commons underground car park ventilation system scheduled for 2010-12 has been completed; and what recent assessment has been made of the air quality in the underground car park.

John Thurso: As previously reported to the right hon. Member on 19 July 2010, Official Report, column 52W, the project to upgrade fire and safety systems in the underground car park was forecast to commence in early 2012. It is scheduled to begin in March 2012.
	In the meantime, to ensure that any air quality problems are swiftly dealt with, the present system is maintained and cleaned in accordance with current industry best practice, to Heating and Ventilating Contractors' Association standards.
	As part of routine maintenance all the ductwork was cleaned during the summer recess. Additional inspection hatches were installed to ensure that best practice is being adhered to.
	The air handling units are regularly maintained and cleaned.

ENVIRONMENT FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Agriculture: Subsidies

Julian Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent discussions she has had on the processing of payments by the Rural Payments Agency.

James Paice: I meet regularly with the Rural Payments Agency chief executive to discuss topical issues, most recently on 21 October to review progress on, and potential indicators of performance for, the processing of payments under the 2011 single payment scheme. The RPA Oversight Board, which I chair, will review these and other performance issues at its next meeting on 2 November.

Greenhouse Gas Emissions: Business

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  if she will conduct a further impact assessment on the measuring and reporting of greenhouse gas emissions by companies, taking into account the social and environmental costs and benefits of emissions reporting, before any decision is made on her Department's preferred option;
	(2)  when she expects to announce her Department's preferred option for the measuring and reporting of greenhouse gas emissions by companies.

Richard Benyon: An impact assessment accompanied the recent consultation on options to improve measuring and reporting of greenhouse gas emissions by companies. In light of the responses to that consultation, the impact assessment is being updated. A revised one will be published when the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Meriden (Mrs Spelman), makes a decision on the reporting of greenhouse gas emissions by companies later this autumn.

Lighting: Complaints

Jo Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment her Department has made of steps taken by local authorities to investigate complaints of light nuisance using powers under sections 79 and 80 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990.

Richard Benyon: In November 2010, DEFRA published a report entitled ‘An Investigation into Artificial Light Nuisance Complaints and Associated Guidance', which examined complaints and how local authorities had dealt with them since the introduction of artificial light as a Statutory Nuisance in 2006.
	Based on annual data, the study suggested that on average 12 light nuisance complaints were made per authority each year.
	The report showed that the principal resources used by local authorities to support the exercise of their statutory duties were the DEFRA statutory guidance (2006) and the Institute of Lighting Engineers guidance note on the reduction of obtrusive lighting (2005).

Lighting: Greater London

Jo Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many notices requiring the abatement of light nuisance, or prohibiting or restricting its occurrence or recurrence, have been issued by London borough councils in the last 12 months.

Richard Benyon: DEFRA does not hold this information. However, the 2010 DEFRA report ‘An Investigation into Artificial Light Nuisance Complaints and Associated Guidance’ showed that between 2006-09, 4,309 light nuisance complaints were made to 114 local authorities in England, and between 2007-09, 274 complaints were made to eight local authorities in Wales.
	As a result of these complaints 32 abatement notices were served. Case examples suggested that authorities had sought an informal resolution wherever possible rather than immediate service of an abatement notice.

Lighting: Greater London

Jo Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps her Department is taking to reduce the level of (a) nuisance lighting and (b) light pollution in London.

Richard Benyon: As stated in the Natural Environment White Paper 2011, the Government have committed to work with industry and other bodies to reduce the negative impacts of artificial light and to protect existing dark areas. Examples of work undertaken to fulfil this commitment include the inclusion of text regarding light pollution within the draft National Planning Policy Framework that requires local planning authorities to ensure light pollution is limited, and the inclusion of guidance on light pollution in the Highways Authority's code of practice for highway lighting management, “Well-lit Highways”.
	The Government have also committed to consulting relevant organisations this year on whether the exemptions for some types of premises from artificial light statutory nuisance continue to be appropriate. No action is being taken that is specific to London.

Natural Gas: Exploration

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what mechanisms are in place to ensure that chemicals used in hydraulic fracturing are registered in accordance with Article 5 of EU Regulation 1907/2006 concerning the Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals; and if she will make a statement.

Richard Benyon: Unless a substance is exempt from the EU Regulation concerning the Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) it must be registered with the European Chemicals Agency. REACH specifies various deadlines in 2010, 2013 and 2018 by which substances must be registered, depending on the tonnage manufactured or imported. These terms apply to substances used in hydraulic fracturing in the same way as they apply to other industrial processes.
	REACH requires member states to establish enforcement arrangements, which in the United Kingdom are set out in The REACH Enforcement Regulations 2008 (SI 2008/2852). The duty to enforce the registration provisions of REACH within the UK lies with the Health and Safety Executive and the Health and Safety Executive for Northern Ireland.

Veterinary Laboratory Service: Newcastle upon Tyne

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many staff are currently employed in the Veterinary Laboratory Service in Newcastle upon Tyne.

Richard Benyon: The Animal Health and Veterinary Laboratories Agency (AHVLA) has three sites in Newcastle upon Tyne.
	As at 1 October, the laboratory site at Long Benton has 27 staff in post; 24 work in the Laboratory Services Department (21 full-time and three part-time), and three in the Veterinary Surveillance Department (all full-time).

Water Abstraction

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what definition her Department uses of sustainable abstraction of water from rivers.

Richard Benyon: Sustainable abstraction is where water can be taken from rivers or from the ground without damage to the environment. The Environment Agency's assessment of damage will consider whether there is, or is a risk of, unacceptable environmental change and will include reference to relevant definitions across a range of environmental legislation, including:
	(A) The Water Framework Directive: for surface waters damage would be where there is an impact on the ecology to a level that it is causing failure against good ecological status/potential. For groundwater it would represent failure against good groundwater quantitative status.
	(B) The Habitats Directive: environmental damage is where the damage has a ‘significant adverse effect on reaching or maintaining the favourable conservation status' of a protected species or habitat.
	(C) Sites of Special Scientific Interest: environmental damage is where there has been damage to the flora or fauna notified under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 or the EU protected species or natural habitats in the site, and that damage has an adverse effect on the integrity of the site.

DEFENCE

Departmental Allowances

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much members of his departmental management board have claimed in expenses since May 2010.

Philip Hammond: We are in the process of collating the expenses of our senior staff, including non-executive directors, for this period and will publish the details on a quarterly basis on the Ministry of Defence website in due course. I will write once these are published.

Consultants

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many full-time equivalent staff are employed on consultancy contracts in his Department; and if he will make a statement.

Peter Luff: holding answer 31 October 2011
	The Ministry of Defence (MOD) does not hold the information requested centrally as the number of full-time equivalent staff held is a matter for the contractors we employ. However, we do monitor the number of consultancy contracts we place and our total spend on external assistance which has reduced significantly over the past decade. Information about departmental spend on consultancy can be found on the MOD website:
	http://www.mod.uk/DefenceInternet/AboutDefence/CorporatePublications/FinancialReports/ModSpend/ExceptionsToSpendingMoratoria.htm

Procurement

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what joint procurement exercises his Department has undertaken with partners in (a) France, (b) Germany, (c) Norway, (d) Sweden, (e) Finland and (f) Denmark.

Peter Luff: The UK is engaged in the following equipment programmes, on both a bilateral and multilateral basis, with France, Germany, Norway, Sweden and Denmark. We are currently engaged in no collaborative equipment programmes with Finland.
	
		
			 France 
			  Equipment programme 
			 Manufacture/in-service Olympus/Tyne Gas Turbines 
			  NATO Submarine Rescue System 
			  Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System 
			  Multiple Launch Rocket System In-Service Support 
			  NATO Armament Ballistics Kernel 
			  Counter Battery Radar (COBRA) 
			  Principal Ami Air Missile System (PAAMS) 
			  Lynx 
			  Puma 
			  Gazelle 
			  RTM322 Helicopter Engine 
			  NATO Improved Link Eleven 
			  NAVSTAR GPS 
		
	
	
		
			   
			 Demonstration Meteor Beyond Visual Range Air-to-Air Missile 
			  A400M 
			  Functional Integration of Electro-Magnetic Sensors 
			  Future Anti-Surface Guided Weapon (Heavy) 
			   
			 Concept ACCOLADE 
			  40mm Cannon 
		
	
	
		
			 Germany 
			  Equipment programme 
			 Manufacture/in-service Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System 
			  Multiple Launch Rocket System In-Service Support 
			  NATO Armament Ballistics Kernel 
			  Counter Battery Radar (COBRA) 
			  M3 Amphibious Bridge 
			  Sidewinder Air-to-Air Missile 
			  Typhoon 
			  Tornado 
			  NATO Improved Link Eleven 
			  NAVSTAR GPS 
			   
			 Demonstration Meteor Beyond Visual Range Air-to-Air Missile 
			  A400M 
		
	
	
		
			 Norway 
			  Equipment programme 
			 Manufacture/in-service NATO Submarine Rescue System 
			  NATO Armament Ballistics Kernel 
			  Sidewinder Air-to-Air Missile 
			  NAVSTAR GPS 
			   
			 Demonstration Joint Strike Fighter 
		
	
	
		
			 Sweden 
			  Equipment programme 
			 Manufacture/in-service M3 Amphibious Bridge 
			   
			 Demonstration Next Generation Light Anti-Armour Weapon (NLAW) 
			  Meteor 
		
	
	
		
			 Denmark 
			  Equipment programme 
			 Manufacture/in-service NATO Armament Ballistics Kernel 
			  C-130J Hercules In-Service Software Upgrade 
			  NAVSTAR GPS 
			  EH101 Helicopter 
			   
			 Demonstration Joint Strike Fighter 
		
	
	Apart from these committed programmes, we have a number of mechanisms under which we cooperate to exchange information and identify potential new joint projects. With both Norway and Sweden we have general “Defence Materiel Cooperation” Memorandum of Understandings under which meetings are arranged to discuss equipment issues of mutual interest. We are also conducting a structured dialogue with Germany, which includes potential equipment cooperation. We currently have no general procurement discussions with either Denmark or Finland.
	Following the UK/France summit on 2 November 2010 we are investigating cooperation with France in a number of areas of defence acquisition. These include support to the A400M aircraft, Submarine Technologies and Systems, Maritime Mine Counter Measures, Satellite Communications, Unmanned Air Systems, Complex Weapons and Research and Technology.

Departmental Security

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  what level of security vetting is required for the post of (a) head of communications, (b) deputy head of communications and (c) head of press office in his Department; and if he will list each person who has held these posts since May 2010;
	(2)  what level of security vetting is required for (a) grade six and seven, or equivalent, press officers and (b) ministerial private secretaries in his Department.

Andrew Robathan: Circumstances in which a post may require the holder to be the subject of national security vetting checks are described in the HMG Personnel Security Controls document which is available from the Cabinet Office website at:
	http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/resource-library/hmg-personnel-security-controls
	It would not be appropriate to confirm which specific posts within a Department are the subject of vetting, as this could highlight who within a Department has access to sensitive material and be used for targeting purposes.
	The Ministry of Defence Head of Communications is the Director Media and Communication (DMC); this post is currently held by Mr Simon Wren who has been in post since March 2011. Prior to this Mr Nick Gurr held the post since 2007. The Head of News is Mr James Shelley. DMC does not have a Deputy Head of Communications.

European Fighter Aircraft

Menzies Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 18 October 2011, Official Report, column 872W, on the European Fighter Aircraft, what estimate he has made of the cost of the flying time from (a) RAF Leuchars and (b) RAF Lossiemouth for each range complex.

Peter Luff: holding answer 31 October 2011
	Flying time between bases and range or training areas can vary according to the training activities pursued in transit.
	However, the investment appraisal of basing the Typhoon Fleet at Lossiemouth allowed an additional 300 flying hours a year for each RAF Lossiemouth based Typhoon Squadron at an annual cost of £3.4 million per squadron. This was in recognition of the additional transit times to ranges and training areas compared to RAF Leuchars.
	I refer my right hon. Friend to the answer the Minister for the Armed Forces, my hon. Friend the Member for North Devon (Nick Harvey), gave on 5 September 2011, Official Report, columns 84-85W. It was judged that these and other costs associated with relocating the Leuchars Typhoon at RAF Lossiemouth were outweighed by wider savings and other benefits to defence.

HOME DEPARTMENT

Antisocial Behaviour Orders

Gloria De Piero: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many Antisocial Behaviour Orders were issued in each local authority for each category of anti-social behaviour in each of the last five years.

James Brokenshire: holding answer 31 October 2011
	These data are not available in the format requested and could be collated only at disproportionate cost.

Asylum

Shabana Mahmood: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the average time taken was for processing legacy asylum cases in the latest period for which figures are available.

Damian Green: Cases dealt with under the remit of the legacy casework programme were the older, previously unresolved cases.
	Due to the complex nature and variable age of the cases within the legacy cohort, many cases predated the Asylum Case Information Database (ACID). This means that it is not possible to provide a reliable assessment of the average processing time for such cases; to attempt to do so would incur disproportionate costs.

Asylum

Shabana Mahmood: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 13 October 2011, Official Report, column 497W, on asylum, whether 479,000 or 455,000 asylum cases under the legacy programme have been fully concluded.

Damian Green: As Jonathan Sedgwick, then acting chief executive of the UK Border Agency, reported to the Home Affairs Committee on 12 September, 479,000 of the 500,500 cases in the legacy programme have been fully concluded.

Criminal Records Bureau: Liverpool

Louise Ellman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans she has for the Criminal Records Bureau office at Princes Dock, Liverpool.

Lynne Featherstone: As a result of the recent reviews of both the Vetting and Barring Scheme and Criminal Records Regime we have decided to merge the functions of the Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) and the Independent Safeguarding Authority (ISA) to create a new non departmental public body, the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS). This is provided for in the Protection of Freedoms Bill.
	The date for establishment of the new organisation is yet to be determined and is subject to parliamentary timetabling. There will be no requirement for either the CRB or ISA to relocate as part of the transition into the DBS.

Departmental Manpower

Stephen Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many officials were (a) directly and (b) otherwise employed by non-departmental public bodies for which her Department is responsible (i) in 2000, (ii) in 2005, (iii) in 2007, (iv) in 2010 and (v) on the most recent date for which figures are available.

Damian Green: The Home Office sponsors seven executive non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs) that have discretion to employ their own staff who are classed as public servants rather than civil servants as they do not work directly for the Crown. Details of civil servants employed, directly or otherwise, are included in the following table.
	
		
			  2000 2005 2007 2010 Most recent data 
			  Direct Other Direct Other Direct Other Direct Other Direct Other 
			 Equality and Human Rights Commission(1) n/a n/a n/a n/a 0 2 0 2 0 7 
			 Independent Police Complaints Commission(2) n/a n/a 0 13 1 5 0 2 0 16 
			 Independent Safeguarding Authority(3) n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 0 1 0 1 
			 National Policing Improvement Agency(4) n/a n/a n/a n/a 0 82 0 22 0 38 
			 Office of the Immigration Services Commissioner(5) 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 
			 Security Industry Authority(6) n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 
		
	
	
		
			 Serious Organised Crime Agency(7) n/a n/a n/a n/a 0 12 0 19 0 31 
			 (1) Most recent data from 20 September 2011. EHRC established 2007 and joined the Home Office 1 April 2011. (2) Most recent data from 31 October 2011. IPCC established 2004. (3) Most recent data from 31 October 2011. ISA established 2008. (4) Most recent data from 31 October 2011. NPIA established 2006. (5) Most recent data from 11 September 2011. OISC established 2000. (6) For the SIA the information is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. (7) Most recent data from 30 September 2011. SOCA established 2006.

Departmental Pay

Stephen Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many officials in her Department and the bodies for which she is responsible earned more than (a) £65,000, (b) £95,000, (c) £140,000 and (d) £175,000 in the last year for which figures are available.

Damian Green: In line with the Prime Minister's commitment to improve transparency about how the Government spend public money, the Home Office and non-departmental public bodies are required to publish a snapshot of the Department on a rolling six monthly basis. This snapshot includes a remuneration report which shows the salaries of posts. We have collated this information into the relevant bands required and produced one figure for the overall Department, agencies and bodies. These figures show all employees which includes public servants, civil servants and non civil servants.
	
		
			 Table 1: Employees of the Home Office, its Executive agencies or the Non-departmental public bodies by salary band 
			 Question Salary bands Number of posts 
			 (a) £44,053 to £94,999 391 
			 (b) £95,000 to £139,999 50 
			 (c) £140,000 to £174,999 10 
			 (d) £175,000+ (1)8 
			 Total  459 
			 (1) Of these employees five are from HMIC two from headquarters and one from EHRC. Notes: 1. This information identifies all posts, whether or not they are vacant. 2. These figures represent civil servants, public servants and non civil servants. 3. Some posts have been excluded for reasons of national security. 4. Full-time rate of pay or total pay includes base pay plus any contractual taxable allowances but excludes bonuses. 5. Employees on loan or secondment out of the body (where the organisation is not paying any of the salary) have been excluded from the exercise. 6. This information includes salaries with a minimum band of £44,053 but a maximum band of £72,986 to ensure all relevant salaries are captured. Source: Transparency Agenda Salary information published on the Home Office website.

Departmental Pay

Stephen Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many officials in her Department received a bonus in each year since 2007.

Damian Green: Non-consolidated performance payments are an integral part of staff reward package in the Home Office and its agencies. They encourage and reward high performance. As non-consolidated payments, they have to be re-earned each year and do not add to future pay bill costs, for example pension costs.
	The data in the table include information from the Home Office (including the UK Border Agency), Identity and Passport Service and Criminal Records Bureau.
	One individual may receive a payment under one or more schemes. The data show the number of payments made, not the number of staff in receipt of payment. The payments relate to the performance year, with payment being made in the subsequent year.
	
		
			 Table A 
			 Performance year Payments made 
			 2007-08 15,326 
			 2008-09 14,148 
			 2009-10 15,981 
			 2010-11 8,857

Regulation

Stephen Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) statutory instruments, (b) ministerial orders and (c) other pieces of secondary legislation were issued by her Department in (i) 1990, (ii) 1995, (iii) each year since 1999 and (iv) 2011 to date.

Damian Green: No departmental figures exist for 1990 and 1995. The number of Home Office England and Wales statutory instruments (which includes ministerial orders where they are SIs) made between 1 January 1999 and 20 October 2011 is as follows:
	
		
			  Total per year 
			 1999 113 
			 2000 152 
			 2001 137 
			 2002 137 
			 2003 157 
			 2004 149 
			 2005 131 
			 2006 111 
			 2007 103 
			 2008 96 
			 2009 88 
			 2010 84 
			 2011 60 (to date) 
		
	
	There are no other pieces of secondary legislation which are recorded for these years.

Departmental Security

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people were in possession of a security pass for her main departmental headquarters, including multi-site headquarters and not including staff or contractors, in each month since May 2010.

Damian Green: Following satisfactory security checks, permanent building passes are issued to Home Office Department staff, contractors/agency staff and/or individuals who are required to work in or have a legitimate business requirement to access the Home Office Department headquarters. These are excluded from the scope of the above question.
	We are unable to easily disaggregate the numbers of other Government Department staff issued with Home Office building passes since May 2010. However, we would confirm that our procedures require that their security clearance is verified with their home Department before a pass is granted.
	An appropriate security management regime is in place for visitors who are issued with temporary passes to access the Home Department headquarters on each visit, which are then surrendered on exit. We do not have readily available records for how many visitors were issued with temporary passes since May 2010 across all Home Office buildings.

Internships

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many unpaid and expenses-only internships (a) her Department and (b) each public body for which she is responsible employed in the last 12 months for which figures are available.

Damian Green: In 2011 the Home Office provided unpaid placements for three interns through the Whitehall Social Mobility programme. Information on all unpaid or expenses-only internships is not collected centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Deportation: Offenders

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  how many foreign nationals convicted of offences in the UK and subject to multi-agency public protection arrangements have (a) been deported, (b) been permitted to remain in the UK and (c) successfully appealed against a deportation order;
	(2)  how many foreign nationals living in the UK are subject to multi-agency public protection arrangements; and what offences they have committed.

Damian Green: To establish how many foreign national offenders subject to multi-agency public protection arrangements are living in the UK, have been allowed to remain on human rights grounds and the type of offence committed in the UK would require cross referencing a large volume of electronic records, which would incur a disproportionate cost.
	As part of the Home Office, the UK Border Agency is not obliged to comply with any information request where the prescribed costs of supplying the information exceed £600. The £600 limit applies to all central Government Departments and is based on work being carried out at a rate of £25 per hour, which equates to 3.5 days work per request. Prescribed costs include those which cover the cost of locating and retrieving information, and preparing a response. They do not include considering whether any information is exempt from disclosure, overheads such as heating or lighting, or disbursements such as photocopying or postage.
	857 foreign nationals convicted of an offence subject to multi-agency public protection arrangements have been deported from the UK between October 2010 and September 2011.
	138 foreign nationals convicted of an offence subject to multi-agency public protection arrangements have successfully appealed against deportation between October 2010 and September 2011.

Domestic Violence

Fiona Mactaggart: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what definition of domestic violence her Department uses; and whether there are any qualifications of that definition in respect of particular services and processes for which her Department is responsible.

Lynne Featherstone: holding answer 27 October 2011
	The Home Office adheres to the current cross-government definition which defines domestic violence as:
	“any incident of threatening behaviour, violence or abuse (psychological, physical, sexual, financial or emotional) between adults who are or have been intimate partners or family members, regardless of gender or sexuality(1)”.
	We are not aware of any qualifications of the definition in respect of particular services and processes for which the Home Office is responsible.
	There is a commitment in the Violence Against Women and Girls Action Plan to
	“consult on a revised definition of domestic violence to take into account younger victims”.
	This action is to be completed by December 2011.
	(1) Recognises Female genital mutilation (FGM), forced marriage and so-called ‘honour crimes’. Adult is any person aged 18 and over, family members are: mother, father, son, daughter, brother, sister and grandparents; directly related, in-laws or step-family.

Entry Clearances

Ian Davidson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 28 June 2011, Official Report, columns 681-82W, on foreign workers, what assessment the 2010 review of labour migration routes made of the likely change in the number of intra-company transfer applications for Indian nationals; and what estimate of any such change she has made for each of the next five years.

Damian Green: The Government’s assessment of the impact of their policies to reduce net migration on the intra-company transfer (ICT) route was set out in an impact assessment published at the time.

Entry Clearances: Overseas Students

Shabana Mahmood: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 15 September 2011, Official Report, columns 1279-80W, on overseas students: entry clearances, what the principal issues of concern were which were raised by religious education colleges.

Damian Green: The principle issues of concern raised by religious education colleges in relation to Tier 4 of the Points Based System have related to international students' entitlements to work and bring dependants, and the impact of the UK Border Agency's new educational oversight and Highly Trusted Sponsor requirements.
	The Government have been clear that genuine high quality education institutions have nothing to fear from our reforms of student visas, which ensure that we attract the best students whose main motivation is study.

Federation of Student Islamic Societies

David Lammy: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps her Department is taking to engage with Islamic students; and if she will make a statement.

James Brokenshire: The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, which is the Department responsible for universities, engages with students on a range of issues that may affect them while they are at university.
	The National Union of Students, who have an advisory group which looks at issues affecting faith groups in Higher and Further Education, also provides regular feedback.

Harassment

Nick Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 24 October 2011, Official Report, column 46W, on police: harassment warnings, what her Department's policy is on monitoring the effects of issuing harassment warnings.

Lynne Featherstone: The Home Office does not hold information centrally on the effects of harassment warnings.

Knives: Crime

Guto Bebb: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  how many incidents of knife crime by people under 18 years old were recorded in (a) North Wales and (b) Aberconwy constituency in each of the last four years;
	(2)  how many incidents of knife crime were recorded in (a) North Wales and (b) Aberconwy constituency in each of the last four years.

Nick Herbert: Data for selected offences involving the use of a knife or sharp instrument have been collected by the Home Office since April 2007. From these data, it is not possible to identify which offences specifically involved the use of a knife.
	Data are collected at police force area level only, so they are not available for Aberconwy constituency. Additionally, suspect data are not collected, so they cannot be broken down by suspect age.
	In 2007-08, North Wales police force recorded 111 offences involving a knife or sharp instrument for a select group of offences. The offences were: homicide, attempted murder, grievous bodily harm (GBH) with intent, GBH without intent and robbery.
	In 2008-09 the offence coverage was expanded to also include actual bodily harm (ABH), threats to kill, sexual assault and rape offences. Therefore figures are not comparable with those offences recorded in 2007-08. In 2008-09, North Wales police force recorded 136 offences involving a knife or sharp instrument.
	The corresponding figure for 2009-10 was 100 offences.
	Data for homicides involving the use of a knife or sharp instrument for 2010-11 will be available at police force area level from January 2012. The total of other offences involving a knife or sharp instrument recorded by North Wales police in 2010-11 was 138 offences (as above, this figure comprises attempted murder, threats to kill, GBH, ABH, robbery, rape and sexual assault but excludes homicides).

Knives: Crime

Gareth Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many incidents of knife crime were recorded in (a) North Kent and (b) Kent in each of the last four years.

Nick Herbert: Data for selected offences involving the use of a knife or sharp instrument have been collected by the Home Office since April 2007. From these data, it is not possible to identify which offences specifically involved the use of a knife.
	Data are collected at police force area level only, so they are not available for North Kent.
	In 2007-08, Kent police force recorded 332 offences involving a knife or sharp instrument for a select group of offences. The offences were: homicide, attempted murder, grievous bodily harm (GBH) with intent, GBH without intent and robbery.
	In 2008-09 the offence coverage was expanded to also include actual bodily harm (ABH), threats to kill, sexual assault and rape offences. Therefore figures are not comparable with those offences recorded in 2007-08. In 2008-09, Kent police force recorded 556 offences involving a knife or sharp instrument. The corresponding figure for 2009-10 was 386 offences.
	Data for homicides involving the use of a knife or sharp instrument for 2010-11 will be available at police force area level from January 2012. The total of other offences involving a knife or sharp instrument recorded by Kent police in 2010-11 was 343 offences (as above, this figure comprises attempted murder, threats to kill, GBH, ABH, robbery, rape and sexual assault but excludes homicides).

Legal Opinion

Stephen Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many times her Department's legal section provided legal advice to Ministers in (a) 2007, (b) 2009, (c) 2010 and (d) the first six months of 2011.

Damian Green: The legal adviser's branch of the Department comprises some 50 lawyers who provide a constant flow of oral and written advice to Ministers as one of their main functions. The same applies to the lawyers in the Government Equalities Office which is part of the Home Office. No records are kept of the quantity of advice given per year.

Legal Opinion

Stephen Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  how much her Department spent on (a) legal advice and (b) instructing counsel in (i) 2007, (ii) 2009, (iii) 2010 and (iv) the first six months of 2011; how many times (A) her Department was taken to court and (B) a decision taken by her Department was subject to a judicial review; and what the outcome was of each such (1) case and (2) review;
	(2)  what the cost was of (a) internal and (b) external legal advice commissioned by her Department in the first six months of 2011;
	(3)  how many times her Department sought legal advice from external counsel in (a) 2007, (b) 2009, (c) 2010 and (d) the first six months of 2011.

Damian Green: In financial years 2007-08, 2009-10 and 2010-11, the Department (including the UK Border Agency (UKBA) and the Identity and Passport Service (IPS)) spent £35,618,000, £34,045,000 and £35,619,421 respectively on legal advice. This includes staff in our Legal Adviser’s Branch as well as litigation services provided by the Treasury Solicitor, counsels' fees and legal services provided outside Government. No separate figures exist for the first six months of 2011.
	The amount spent on instructing counsel in each of those financial years was £6,577,167, £5,645,523 and £6,204,991 respectively.
	No central records are kept of the number of cases that actually went to court.
	The numbers of judicial review cases opened for the Department (including UKBA and IPS) during those financial years was 5,313, 7,145, and 7,583 respectively.
	No central record was kept of the outcome of such cases/judicial reviews for the years in question.
	The cost of internal legal advice obtained by the Department for the financial year 2010-11 was £5,469,000 (the budget for the Legal Adviser's Branch in that year as well the budget for lawyers working in UKBA's cash forfeiture team).
	The cost of external legal advice during that financial year was £30,150,421 which includes litigation services provided by the Treasury Solicitor's Department, counsels' fees and legal services provided outside Government. No separate figures exist for the first six months of 2011.
	No central records are kept of the number of times the Department seeks legal advice from external counsel.

Prostitution: Olympic Games 2012

Shabana Mahmood: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what discussions she has had with (a) the Metropolitan Police, (b) the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games, (c) local authorities and (d) women's groups on the prevention of street-based prostitution (i) in advance of and (ii) during the London 2012 Olympics.

James Brokenshire: I have had no such specific discussions.
	Currently, we are not anticipating significant increases in street-based prostitution relating to the Games. Intelligence on human trafficking, including trafficking for the purpose of prostitution, is assessed on a quarterly basis as part of the Olympic Strategic Threat Assessment. It is anticipated that such activity would be the primary cause of any substantive rise in prostitution, and current evidence does not suggest that there is any increase in human trafficking linked to the Olympics at the moment. Despite this, we remain vigilant. We have law enforcement measures in place to deal with any potential increase in the threat. The Human Exploitation and Organised Crime Operational Command Unit of the Metropolitan Police Service are working to disrupt prostitution and recover victims, including victims of trafficking, in the five Olympic boroughs in London. If the evidence indicates an increase in trafficking we shall ensure that appropriate measures are put in place.
	This Government are committed to tackling the harm and exploitation to individuals, impact on communities, and links to organised crime, that can be associated with prostitution. We have published a review of effective practice in responding to prostitution, to empower local areas to respond to local issues.

CULTURE MEDIA AND SPORT

BBC World Service

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs on the future of the BBC World Service.

Jeremy Hunt: I discussed the future of the BBC World Service with the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague), in the context of the spending review and the licence fee settlement in October 2010. Following that, officials from both Departments, together with the BBC Trust and the World Service, discussed the details of how the changes should be formalised in the amended BBC Agreement, which was laid in Parliament in September 2011. I have had no other discussions with the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs on the World Service.

World Athletics Championships

Mary Macleod: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what support his Department has provided for London's bid to host the 2017 World Athletics championships; and if he will make a statement.

Hugh Robertson: My Department has worked closely with UK Athletics in developing their bid and has provided the necessary financial and security guarantees in its support.
	I personally represented the Government at October’s successful Evaluation Commission visit—during the party conference. I am visiting the International Association of Athletics Federations tomorrow with Lord Coe, the bid President, and will be part of the team making the final bid presentation next Friday. The Prime Minister is also backing the bid.

Departmental Pay

Stephen Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport how many civil servants in his Department received a bonus in each year since 2007.

John Penrose: The number of civil servants in this Department who received performance related payments and in-year performance payments in each year since 2007 is shown in the following table:
	
		
			  Total number of civil servants Number receiving in-year non-consolidated performance related payments Number receiving year-end non-consolidated performance related payments 
			 2007-08 379 144 235 
			 2008-09 397 178 219 
			 2009-10 399 129 270 
			 2010-11 327 81 246 
		
	
	A close and effective link between pay and performance is a key element of the reward arrangements for the civil service. For the senior civil service (SCS), for whom pay is managed by the Cabinet Office and which is based on recommendations by the Senior Salaries Review Body, performance incentives are paid primarily as non-consolidated performance payments. For staff outside SCS, Departments operate within the guidelines set by the Cabinet Office and HM Treasury.

Departmental Security

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport 
	(1)  what level of security vetting is required for the post of (a) head of communications, (b) deputy head of communications and (c) head of press office in his Department; and if he will list each person who has held these posts since May 2010;
	(2)  what level of security vetting is required for (a) grade six and seven, or equivalent, press officers and (b) Ministerial private secretaries in his Department;
	(3)  what level of security vetting is required for (a) special advisers and (b) Ministerial-appointed policy advisers in his Department; and if he will list each person who has held these posts since May 2010.

John Penrose: It would not be appropriate to list out details of individual staff vetting levels. All staff in the Department are vetted to an appropriate level, according to guidance set out in HMG Personnel Security Controls, which can be found on the Cabinet Office website at:
	www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/resource-library/hmg-personnel-security-controls

Departmental Security

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what company or Government service is used to undertake security vetting at (a) counter terrorist check, (b) security check and (c) developed vetting level in his Department.

John Penrose: The Department uses the Defence Business Services National Security Vetting Agency to undertake its security vetting.

Departmental Security

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport how many people were in possession of a security pass for his main departmental headquarters, including multi-site headquarters and not including staff or contractors, in each month since May 2010.

John Penrose: The information the hon. Gentleman has requested is set out in the following table:
	
		
			  Number of security passes 
			 2010  
			 May 42 
			 June 42 
			 July 44 
			 August 46 
			 September 46 
			 October 46 
			 November 51 
			 December 51 
			   
			 2011  
			 January 53 
			 February 63 
			 March 63 
			 April 83 
			 May 83 
			 June 148 
			 July 202 
			 August 219 
			 September 229 
			 October 233 
		
	
	The increase from June 2011 is because of the occupation of the 5th and 6th floors in Cockspur street, the Department's main offices. Private tenants who work within the Department's main building in Cockspur street do not have access to the Department's occupied floors.

E-mails

Alison Seabeck: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport how many (a) emails, (b) letters and (c) meetings (i) he and (ii) his officials have had with their counterparts in the Department for Communities and Local Government on the National Planning Policy Framework in the last six months. [R]

Hugh Robertson: Both Ministers and officials in this Department are in regular contact with colleagues at the Department for Communities and Local Government by e-mail, letter and meetings, and discuss a full range of issues, including the National Planning Policy Framework.

Gambling: Young People

Simon Kirby: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport whether his Department is taking steps to publicise the negative effects of gambling (a) in general and (b) on younger people.

John Penrose: Industry funding for problem gambling research, education and treatment (which includes education about the potential negative effects of gambling) is currently channelled through the Responsible Gambling Fund (RCF), who made grants and awarded contracts worth £5.7 million in 2010-11. Details about the full range of research education and prevention programmes supported by them, including their youth education programme can be found at:
	http://www.rgfund.org.uk/

News International

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what recent meetings his Department has had with representatives of News International; and whether the BBC licence fee settlement was discussed at any such meeting.

Edward Vaizey: A list of meetings with media organisations by the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport, my right hon. Friend the Member for South West Surrey (Mr Hunt), has been published on the Department's website, and can be found using the link:
	http://www.transparency.culture.gov.uk/2011/07/26/sos-meetings-with-proprietors-editors-and-senior-media-executives-11may1-15jul11/
	The licence fee settlement was not discussed during these meetings.

Third Sector

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport how much funding his Department allocated to organisations other than arm's length bodies in (a) 2010-11 and (b) 2011-12; and how much he expects to allocate for such purposes in (i) 2012-13, (ii) 2013-14 and (iii) 2014-15.

John Penrose: The Department has allocated, or plans to allocate, the following grants to organisations other than our arm's length bodies, in the years 2010-11 to 2014-15.
	
		
			  £ million (1) 
			 2010-11 95.36 
			 2011-12 84.911 
			 2012-13 64.079 
			 2013-14 73.517 
			 2014-15 55.549 
			 (1) The amounts shown are net of income and therefore represent the funding allocated directly by the Department from its own settlement.

Tourism

Stephen Mosley: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what assessment his Department has made of the attractiveness of the UK as an international tourist destination.

John Penrose: Results from the recently released Anholt Nation Brand Index Survey 2011 reveal that the UK was ranked third out of 50 nations on the overall index, one place higher than was the case in 2010. The survey relates to arts and culture, heritage and historic environment, natural beauty, city life and urban attractions, and the welcome provided to overseas visitors.

WORK AND PENSIONS

Consultants

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many full-time equivalent staff are employed on consultancy contracts in his Department; and if he will make a statement.

Chris Grayling: Consultancy provides management with objective advice relating to strategy, structure, management or operations outside the business-as-usual environment when in-house skills are not available. DWP (Core Department and its Agencies) pays for consultancy on a project basis usually on a fixed fee based on defined outcomes or deliverables. The consultancy supplier is responsible for providing appropriate resource. DWP does not employ consultants on a full-time staff equivalent basis.

Legal Opinion

Stephen Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many times his Department's legal section provided legal advice to Ministers in (a) 2007, (b) 2009, (c) 2010 and (d) the first six months of 2011.

Chris Grayling: Unfortunately, it is not possible to answer this PQ at a reasonable cost. This is because information is not recorded in this form and in order to establish the answer it would be necessary to gather together every file over the relevant period and to go through them to identify each and every occasion on which advice was given. In addition, this exercise may not identify every case in which oral advice was given.
	For that reason the probable cost of answering the PQ would be well in excess of £800.

Departmental Responsibilities

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many applications from employees to run services for which his Department is directly responsible he has received since May 2010; and if he will make a statement.

Chris Grayling: Since May 2010 I have received no applications from employees to run services for which my Department is responsible.
	My Department continues to engage with the Cabinet Office which has overall responsibility for developing the provision of public service mutuals/right to provide across the public sector.

Departmental Security

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people were in possession of a security pass for his main Departmental headquarters, including multi-site headquarters and not including staff or contractors, in each month since May 2010.

Chris Grayling: The Department occupies the vast majority of its properties under the terms of a 20-year PFI contract with Telereal Trillium (TT), for which it pays a unitary charge in return for fully fitted and serviced accommodation. This includes responsibility for issuing temporary security passes to visitors. The Department has 13 head office buildings across the country located in London, Sheffield, Leeds, the North West and North East of England. From the information held, details on the number of security passes excluding staff and contractors, issued location by location is given on the table. A summary of the monthly figures is given as follows:
	
		
			  Number of passed issued 
			 May 2010 14,345 
			 June 2010 14,000 
			 July 2010 15,005 
			 August 2010 12,452 
			 September 2010 15,785 
			 October 2010 15,264 
			 November 2010 17,082 
			 December 2010 11,487 
			 January 2011 15,716 
			 February 2011 15,999 
			 March 2011 18,931 
			 April 2011 13,487 
			 May 2011 15,727 
			 June 2011 17,628 
			 July 2011 15,625 
			 August 2011 12,881 
			 September 2011 15,752 
			 October 2011 15,586

Disability Living Allowance

Andrew Selous: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many and what proportion of people were in receipt of disability living allowance as a result of musculoskeletal disorders in the latest period for which figures are available.

Maria Miller: The percentage of people in receipt of DLA as a result of musculoskeletal disorders in November 2010 was as follows:
	
		
			  Total Percentage 
			 Musculoskeletal disorders 1,098,500 34.5 
		
	
	
		
			 Notes: 1. The preferred statistics on benefits are now derived from 100% data sources. However, the 5% sample data still provide some detail not yet available from the 100% data sources, in particular more complete information on the disabling condition of DLA claimants. DWP recommends that, where the detail is only available on the 5% sample data, or disabling condition is required, the proportions derived should be scaled up to the overall 100% total for the benefit. 2. Figures are rounded to the nearest hundred. Percentages have been rounded to one decimal place. 3. Figures show the number of people in receipt of an allowance, and exclude people with entitlement where the payment has been suspended, for example if they are in hospital. Source: DWP Information, Governance and Security Directorate 5% sample.

Disability Living Allowance

Dan Rogerson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many claimants of disability living allowance had a learning disability (a) as a main disabling condition and (b) in addition to a main disabling condition which was not a learning disability in each year since 2008.

Maria Miller: The information is as follows:
	
		
			 Disability living allowance cases in payment where the main disabling condition or secondary condition (1)  is learning difficulties 
			  All Learning difficulties as main disabling condition Learning difficulties as secondary disabling condition 
			 February    
			 2011 3,192,100 379,900 46,600 
			 2010 3,137,700 353,600 31,300 
			 2009 3,044,000 327,400 (2)— 
			 2008 2,945,600 293,500 35,200 
			 (1) In October 2008 the system used to record disabling condition for DLA recipients changed. Prior to October 2008 disabling conditions were recorded relating to care and/or mobility depending on entitlement to these components, and main and secondary disabling conditions were derived for the purposes of statistical reporting. After October 2008 a primary and secondary code were recorded. Information on secondary condition for February 2009 is not available due to a number of transitional recording issues; the impact of these issues is thought to be reducing over time. (2) Not available. Notes: 1. Caseload figures are rounded to the nearest hundred. 2. Figures are adjusted to be consistent with the overall caseload from the WPLS. 3. Figures do not include people with entitlement where the payment has been suspended, for example if they are in hospital. 4. The preferred data source for benefit statistics is 100% Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study. However, the 5% sample data are generally the preferred source for analysis on disabling condition as information is more complete for disabling condition on the 5% sample. (Some recipients of DLA who transferred from the AA system may not have been allocated a specific disabling condition code. This problem can be corrected on the sample data but not on the WPLS data. The number of cases affected is decreasing over time). 5. A diagnosed medical condition does not mean that someone is automatically entitled to DLA. Entitlement is dependent on an assessment of how much help someone needs with personal care and/or mobility because of their disability. These statistics are only collected for administrative purposes. Source: DWP Information Directorate: Sample data (5%).

Employment and Support Allowance

Caroline Dinenage: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what plans his Department has to ensure that people in receipt of employment and support allowance in the work related activity group whose conditions have deteriorated over 12 months whilst on the benefit are identified and moved into the support group.

Chris Grayling: There are two ways in which changes to a claimant's health can lead to a change in the amount of benefit.
	Firstly, claimants who are entitled to employment and support allowance (including those in the Work Related Activity Group) will be reassessed at regular intervals through the work capability assessment process.
	Secondly, claimants can declare a change in their condition which could affect their entitlement to benefit and they will also be reassessed through the work capability assessment process. Where such arrangements are followed and a decision maker decides that there is sufficient evidence, claimants will be moved to the support group.

Flexible New Deal Programme

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of the potential effects of the publication by providers in the Flexible New Deal programme of their own performance data.

Chris Grayling: The arrangements for releasing Flexible New Deal information were established by the last Government.

Housing Benefit

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what his policy is on exempting single pregnant local housing allowance claimants from the shared accommodation rate limit.

Steve Webb: Please accept my apologies for the delay in replying. This was due to an administrative error. No exemption is made for single pregnant claimants from the shared accommodation rate. The local authority can consider making a discretionary housing payment where they think it appropriate to meet such a need.

Industrial Accidents: Construction

Stephen Hepburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people employed in the construction industry in (a) Jarrow constituency, (b) South Tyneside, (c) the North East and (d) the UK died in the workplace in each year since 1997.

Chris Grayling: The information requested is as follows.
	
		
			 Fatal injuries to workers in the construction industry (1)  as reported to all enforcing authorities 1997-98 to 2010-11 (2) 
			  South Tyneside (3) North East (4) Great Britain (5) 
			  Employees Self-employed Employees Self-employed Employees Self-employed 
			 1997-98 — — 2 1 58 22 
			 1998-99 — — — — 47 18 
			 1999-2000 — — — — 61 20 
			 2000-01 — — 1 — 73 32 
			 2001-02 — — 8 — 60 20 
			 2002-03 — — 3 — 56 14 
			 2003-04 — 1 4 1 52 19 
			 2004-05 — — 1 1 55 14 
			 2005-06 — — 3 1 43 17 
			 2006-07  — 1 1 54 25 
			 2007-08 — — — — 53 19 
			 2008-09 — — 2 1 32 20 
			 2009-10 — — 1 — 29 12 
			 2010-11(2) — — 1 1 32 18 
			 (1) Statistics for the years 1997-98 to 2000-01 are identified by Standard Industrial Classification 1992 (SIC92) Section F—Construction. For the years 2001-02 and on, statistics are presented on the new basis of ‘SIC 2007'. Changes of this nature occur periodically, to reflect how the industrial composition of the economy changes over time. (2) Provisional. (3) Identified by local authority code 4520 ‘South Tyneside'. (4) Identified by Government Office Region and includes South Tyneside LA. (5) Includes North East Government Office Region.

Industrial Accidents: Construction

Stephen Hepburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what proportion of workplace deaths in the construction industry resulted in (a) prosecution and (b) conviction in each year since 1997.

Chris Grayling: Detailed information is available only in the form requested from 1999-2000 onwards.
	(a) The proportion of workplace deaths in the construction industry that resulted in prosecution are shown in the following table:
	
		
			 Work year (1 April to 31 March) Number of deaths Proportion resulting in prosecution (percentage) 
			 1999-2000 87 36 
			 2000-01 113 40 
			 2001-02 85 33 
			 2002-03 75 40 
			 2003-04 75 47 
			 2004-05 77 45 
			 2005-06 64 36 
			 2006-07 86 34 
			 2007-08 75 53 
		
	
	
		
			 2008-09 57 35 
			 2009-10 45 20 
			 2010-11 (1)52 8 
			 (1) Provisional. 
		
	
	The prosecution figures are based on information available on 31 October 2011.
	The numbers of prosecutions for later years, particularly 2009-10 and 2010-11, will increase as it can be a number of years after the fatality before the resulting prosecution comes to court.
	The fatality figures are based on deaths reported under the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1995.
	2010-11 figures are based on the provisional fatalities statistics.
	(b) The proportion of workplace deaths in the construction industry that resulted in conviction (based on the numbers prosecuted) are shown in the following table:
	
		
			 Work year (1 April to 31 March) Number of deaths Proportion resulting in conviction  (percentage) 
			 1999-2000 87 33 
			 2000-01 113 39 
			 2001-02 85 31 
			 2002-03 75 35 
			 2003-04 75 44 
			 2004-05 77 39 
			 2005-06 64 33 
			 2006-07 86 26 
			 2007-08 75 39 
			 2008-09 57 19 
			 2009-10 45 7 
			 2010-11 (1)52 2 
			 (1) Provisional. 
		
	
	These figures show the proportion of prosecution cases resulting in a conviction based on information available on 31 October 2011.
	The numbers of convictions for later years, particularly 2009-10 and 2010-11, will increase as it can be a number of years after the fatality before the related prosecution cases are heard by the courts.

Industrial Health and Safety: Custodial Treatment

Stephen Hepburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many employer representatives were given custodial sentences for offences relating to failure to comply with health and safety legislation in each year since 1997.

Chris Grayling: The number of custodial sentences for employer representatives from 1998-99 to 2010-11 is shown in the following table:
	
		
			  Custodial sentences 
			  Total Suspended prison sentences Prison sentence 
			 1998-99 1 1 0 
			 1999-2000 1 1 0 
			 2000-01 1 1 0 
		
	
	
		
			 2001-02 0 0 0 
			 2002-03 1 1 0 
			 2003-04 0 0 0 
			 2004-05 6 5 1 
			 2005-06 2 1 1 
			 2006-07 5 2 3 
			 2007-08 8 1 7 
			 2008-09 6 0 6 
			 2009-10 4 1 3 
			 2010-11 3 1 2 
		
	
	The national figures presented are for Great Britain, and do not include figures for health and safety in Northern Ireland. They are based on prosecutions initiated by HSE and local authorities.
	Statistics are available only from 1998-99 onwards and the 2010-11 figures do not include prosecutions taken by local authorities as they are not yet available.
	Employer representatives are those individuals with duties under health and safety legislation to safeguard the health and safety of employees and others.

Jobcentre Plus

Richard Harrington: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what proportion of jobs advertised through Jobcentre Plus in England and Wales (a) required a skilled worker and (b) were of graduate level in the last seven days for which information is available; and what proportion of these jobs were filled.

Chris Grayling: The precise information requested is not available. The following table shows the number of vacancies notified to Jobcentre Plus in England and Wales by occupation. This provides a broad guide to the skill level of the vacancies it receives, but there is no specific record of whether vacancies require applicants to be qualified to degree level. Vacancies are normally held for a certain period of time agreed with the employer and closed automatically after this point. It is not therefore possible to say what proportion of vacancies is filled.
	As vacancy data are not adjusted for seasonal fluctuations, the monthly average number of notified vacancies is shown for the 12 months to September 2011, the latest month for which information is currently available.
	Jobcentre Plus vacancies will represent only a proportion of all new vacancies coming up in the economy. Moreover, the Jobcentre Plus share of all vacancies is likely to vary across different occupations.
	
		
			 Jobcentre Plus notified vacancies: 12 months to September 2011 
			 Occupational group Monthly average of notified vacancies 
			 Managers and senior officials 11,000 
			 Professional occupations 10,000 
			 Associate professional and technical occupations 38,000 
			 Administrative and secretarial occupations 17,000 
		
	
	
		
			 Skilled trades occupations 33,000 
			 Personal service occupations 33,000 
			 Sales and customer service occupations 48,000 
			 Process, plant and machine operatives 46,000 
			 Elementary occupations 66,000 
			 Source: www.nomisweb.co.uk

Jobcentre Plus

Nicola Blackwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of the potential for data sharing between Jobcentre Plus and organisations seeking to link jobseekers with mentoring and employment search support; and if he will make a statement.

Chris Grayling: The Department for Work and Pensions is working with the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills to develop a more streamlined service for the delivery of work-related training and careers advice.
	The Social Security (Claims and Information) (Amendment) Regulations 2010, using new powers introduced by the Welfare Reform Act 2009, allow the proportionate sharing of data between organisations that are supporting Jobcentre Plus claimants with their employment, skills and training needs.
	The regulations remove the need for repeated informed consent to share detailed claimant information. This will support increased joint working between Jobcentre Plus personal advisors, Next Step careers advisers and training providers to bring together the training, mentoring and employment support offered to jobseekers.

Jobseeker’s Allowance

Ann McKechin: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many job centres did not meet their targets on reducing the number of jobseeker's allowance claimants in (a) the last quarter, (b) the last six months and (c) the last year; and in which districts they are located.

Chris Grayling: The departmental planning assumption for 2010-11 operational year was for 90% of claimants to leave jobseeker’s allowance within 52 weeks of date of claim.
	For the 2011-12 operational year, a more accurate and timely data source has been introduced to provide off-flow rate management information, thus improving the quality of the data. The national planning assumption has been recalibrated to 88% to reflect the new data source for the 2011-12 operational year.
	The planning assumptions represent a national average of the performance delivered across all Jobcentres. Individual jobcentre level planning assumptions are not set as labour market conditions vary. It is therefore not possible to provide the detailed information the hon. Member has requested.

Pensions: British Nationals Abroad

Valerie Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions with which countries there is a (a) reciprocal agreement and (b) legal requirement for the UK state pension payable to UK pensioners living abroad to be uprated.

Steve Webb: Uprated UK state pensions are payable under reciprocal agreements between the UK and the host country to eligible UK state pension recipients living in the following non-EU/EEA countries: Barbados, Bermuda, Guernsey, Isle of Man, Israel, Jamaica, Jersey, Mauritius, the Philippines, Turkey, the United States of America and the now separate republics of the former Yugoslavia that are not EU member states (Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia, Kosovo, Montenegro, Serbia and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia).
	Upratings are also currently paid to eligible UK state pension recipients in the European Economic Area and Switzerland under EU Regulations.
	UK state pensions are not uprated in any other country.

Social Security Benefits

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what proportion of the 21 to 60 year old population were out of employment and in receipt of benefits in each year from 1990 to 2011; and if he will make a statement.

Chris Grayling: The information that is available is given as follows.
	The table shows information on claimants aged between 18 and 59 by client group (out of work benefits) 1995-2011. Information prior to May 1995 is not available in the format requested. This has been given for those aged 18-59 because it is a standard age grouping that is regularly published. Information for 21-60 could be produced only at disproportionate cost.
	
		
			  Total Percentage population Jobseeker's Allowance Percentage population Incapacity Benefits Percentage population Other  income support Percentage population 
			 May 1995 5,536,700 17.5 2,179,100 6.9 2,022,000 6.4 1,335,600 4.2 
			 February 1996 5,595,700 17.6 2,180,900 6.9 2,071,100 6.5 1,343,700 4.2 
			 February 1997 5,130,300 16.2 1,722,100 5.4 2,127,600 6.7 1,280,600 4.0 
			 February 1998 4,711,500 14.8 1,337,100 4.2 2,167,000 6.8 1,207,400 3.8 
			 February 1999 4,612,000 14.4 1,276,000 4.0 2,173,700 6.8 1,162,300 3.6 
			 February 2000 4,538,990 14.1 1,127,840 3.5 2,296,270 7.1 1,114,870 3.5 
			 February 2001 4,422,780 13.6 976,290 3.0 2,375,050 7.3 1,071,440 3.3 
		
	
	
		
			 February 2002 4,357,470 13.3 931,000 2.8 2,385,470 7.3 1,041,000 3.2 
			 February 2003 4,344,000 13.2 920,920 2.8 2,424,460 7.4 998,620 3.0 
			 February 2004 4,261,210 12.9 842,950 2.5 2,436,320 7.4 981,940 3.0 
			 February 2005 4,158,060 12.5 794,900 2.4 2,424,020 7.3 939,140 2.8 
			 February 2006 4,207,220 12.5 901,370 2.7 2,384,870 7.1 920,990 2.7 
			 February 2007 4,139,240 12.3 874,600 2.6 2,343,520 7.0 921,120 2.7 
			 February 2008 3,989,950 11.8 791,430 2.3 2,304,330 6.8 894,190 2.7 
			 February 2009 4,580,590 13.5 1,394,730 4.1 2,294,840 6.8 891,010 2.6 
			 February 2010 4,671,360 13.7 1,502,680 4.4 2,319,200 6.8 849,480 2.5 
			 February 2011 4,465,600 13.1 1,414,730 4.2 2,272,380 6.7 778,490 2.3 
			 Notes: 1. Figures are 5% sample data from 1995 to 1999, and are rounded to the nearest 100. 2. Figures from 2000 onwards are from 100% WPLS data, and are rounded to the nearest 10. 3. Percentages are shown to one decimal place. 4. Percentage population figures have been calculated using ONS population estimates from 1996 to 2010. 5. Sample data figures (1995-99) are produced from published client group analysis tables. Rating protocols for client group sample data analysis differ from those applied to individual benefits. 6. Statistical Group is a hierarchical variable. A person who fits into more than one category will only appear in the top-most one for which they are eligible. For example, a claimant of Income Support and Incapacity Benefit would appear in "Incapacity Benefits" not "Income Support". 7. From November 2008 the "incapacity benefits group" includes Employment and Support Allowance (ESA). ESA replaced Incapacity Benefit (IB) and Income Support (IS) paid on the grounds of incapacity for new claims from 27 October 2008. Prior to this the "incapacity benefits group" referred to claimants of Incapacity Benefit (including credits only) or Severe Disablement Allowance including people claiming IS on the grounds of incapacity. 8. Figures are for Great Britain. Those for Northern Ireland are available from http://www.dsdni.gov.uk/index/stats_and_research/benefit_publications.htm Source: DWP Information Directorate 5% Sample Data and 100% Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study (WPLS) data. ONS mid year population estimates.

Social Security Benefits: Disability

Dan Rogerson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps he has taken to ensure that people with a learning disability are able to use easy-read and accessible forms when applying for (a) jobseeker's allowance, (b) employment and support allowance and (c) other benefits.

Chris Grayling: The majority of claims are now taken either online or by telephone, rather than using paper forms. The Department's staff have guidance about how to support people with learning disabilities, with our main approaches being to ensure they use the phone where suitable, allow them to break the call into smaller pieces if they have difficulty concentrating for long periods, or to offer a one-to-one interview to support them if the telephone is not suitable. The most vulnerable can also opt to use a third party or intermediary to help them.

Universal Credit: Fraud

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate his Department has made of the effect on levels of fraud and error of using self-reporting as an alternative to real-time PAYE data for universal credit.

Chris Grayling: The use of real time PAYE data is a key element of universal credit.
	The Government are fully committed to introducing real time PAYE data and are on track to deliver it in time for the introduction of universal credit in October 2013.
	For those not covered by this facility, for example the self-employed, a system based on the self-reporting of earnings will be developed. We are in the process of considering the controls and safeguards against fraud and error which might be required.

Universal Credit: Major Projects Authority

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many reports the Major Projects Authority has completed on the implementation of universal credit; and on what dates these reports were presented to him.

Chris Grayling: The Major Project Authority is working with the DWP chief operating officer (the senior responsible owner for universal credit) rather than directly with the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, my right hon. Friend the Member for Chingford and Woodford Green (Mr Duncan Smith).
	In January of this year the Major Project Authority undertook a Starting Gate review on the universal credit programme. The senior responsible owner met with the Major Project Review Group Panel (co-ordinated by MPA) in July and October of this year and will meet with the panel again in December. Subsequent to each meeting the panel have written to the senior responsible owner.
	Ahead of the next panel the Major Project Authority has arranged for a programme assessment review of the universal credit programme to take place.

Universal Credit: Northern Ireland

Naomi Long: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what discussions he has had with Ministers from the Northern Ireland Executive on the effect of welfare reform and the introduction of the universal credit in Northern Ireland; and what assessment he has made of the effect of the level of childcare provision in Northern Ireland on the effectiveness of universal credit.

Chris Grayling: Ministers are working closely with Northern Ireland colleagues in the Department for Social Development (DSD) and in the Northern Ireland Social Security Agency (NISSA) to support the delivery of welfare reform and universal credit. This includes meetings to discuss a range of related subjects.
	Child care and social security are a devolved matter in Northern Ireland and we will continue to work closely with the devolved Administration in Northern Ireland to seek to maintain a single system across the United Kingdom.

Winter Fuel Payments

Chris Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  what steps he is taking to provide financial support to cancer patients for fuel costs in the winter of 2011-12;
	(2)  whether he has any plans to extend the winter fuel payment to those (a) with a terminal illness and (b) undergoing treatment for cancer.

Steve Webb: There are no plans to extend provision under the winter fuel payment scheme.
	People with a terminal illness and those undergoing treatment for cancer will, in most cases, be entitled to disability living allowance (DLA). DLA is a non-contributory, non-income-related and tax-free cash contribution towards the disability-related costs of those with a disability.
	Additional help is also available to people with a terminal illness or those undergoing treatment for cancer where they are in receipt of an income-related benefit through the disability premiums associated with these benefits.
	Cold weather payments are also available to certain vulnerable people to help with the extra heating costs that result from very cold weather in their area.

JUSTICE

Coroners

Bob Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice whether he has made an assessment of the proposal on coronial reform submitted to his Department jointly by INQUEST and the Royal British Legion, entitled A Pragmatic Way Forward.

Jonathan Djanogly: I refer the right hon. Gentleman to my comments during Report stage of the Public Bodies Bill on 25 October 2011, Official Report, column 261, in which I responded to the question on the proposal.

Consultants

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  pursuant to the answer of 19 October 2011, Official Report, column 1014W, on departmental procurement, how many contracts involved the provision of consultancy services; how many contracts involved the employment of a consultant within his Department; whether any such consultants remained in employment on the latest date for which information is available; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  how many full-time equivalent staff are employed on consultancy contracts in his Department; and if he will make a statement.

Jonathan Djanogly: The information is as follows.
	(1) The answer given on 19 October 2011, Official Report, column 1014W, did not include data in relation to consultancy contracts. The Ministry of Justice has awarded the following consultancy contracts directly to small, medium and large businesses since May 2010:
	
		
			  Number of contracts awarded since May 2010 Number of contracts currently in place as of 31 October 2011 
			 Small 14 4 
			 Medium 2 1 
			 Large 17 7 
		
	
	None of the above contracts involve the employment of a consultant. They are procurement contracts let directly with businesses for the purposes of delivering consultancy services.
	(2) There are no full-time equivalent staff employed on consultancy contracts.

Public Bodies Reform

Bob Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice if he will consider publishing a paper summarising the responses to his Department's consultation on reforming the public bodies of his Department prior to 31 December 2011.

Jonathan Djanogly: I refer the right hon. Gentleman to the answer I gave on 31 October 2011, Official Report, column 390W.

Departmental Responsibilities

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many applications from employees to run services for which his Department is directly responsible he has received since May 2010; and if he will make a statement.

Kenneth Clarke: The Ministry of Justice is actively exploring opportunities to encourage public service mutuals across its services. This has not yet led to any formal applications from employees to run services but we are following up initial areas of interest. All options will be developed within the wider context of work on service reform and competition.

Departmental Security

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  what level of security vetting is required for the post of (a) head of communications, (b) deputy head of communications and (c) head of press office in his Department; and if he will list each person who has held these posts since May 2010;
	(2)  what level of security vetting is required for (a) grade six and seven, or equivalent, press officers and (b) ministerial private secretaries in his Department;
	(3)  what level of security vetting is required for (a) special advisers and (b) ministerial-appointed policy advisers in his Department; and if he will list each person who has held these posts since May 2010;
	(4)  what company or Government service is used to undertake security vetting at (a) counter terrorist check, (b) security check and (c) developed vetting level in his Department;
	(5)  how many people were in possession of a security pass for his main departmental headquarters, including multi-site headquarters and not including staff or contractors, in each month since May 2010.

Crispin Blunt: The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) requires its special advisers, Director of Communications, Band A (previously Grades 6 and 7) press officers and ministerial private secretaries to hold minimum “security check” clearance. Details of individual clearances cannot be disclosed for security reasons but are proportionate to the requirements of each post.
	The following individuals have held the listed posts since May 2010:
	Head of Communications—Clare Harbord and Pam Teare
	Deputy Head of Communications—There has been/is no such post
	Head of Press Office—Rob Smith and Scot Marchbank
	Special advisers— Kathryn Laing and David Hass.
	The MoJ has not appointed any policy advisers since May 2010.
	Defence Business Services carries out the vetting checks for the MoJ.
	The following table gives the number of visitor passes issued for the MoJ headquarters buildings in each month since May 2010.
	
		
			  Number of passes issued 
			 2010  
			 May 6,970 
			 June 7300 
			 July 7,348 
			 August 5,712 
			 September 8,098 
			 October 7,765 
			 November 7,330 
			 December 4,472 
			   
			 2011  
			 January 6,880 
			 February 7,464 
			 March 8,711 
			 April 5,344 
			 May 5,476 
			 June 6,227 
			 July 7,352 
			 August 5,222 
			 September 6,969 
		
	
	The details for passes issued in October 2011 are not yet available.
	In addition, the following table gives details of the number of “frequent visitor” passes for MoJ buildings in use in each month since May 2010.
	
		
			  Number of passes in use 
			 2010  
			 May 61 
			 June 61 
			 July 61 
			 August 61 
			 September 61 
			 October 61 
			 November 61 
			 December 61 
			   
			 2011  
			 January 62 
			 February 62 
			 March 62 
			 April 62 
			 May 62 
			 June 60 
			 July 60 
			 August 59 
			 September 58

Employment Tribunals Service

Dominic Raab: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many claimants appearing before an Employment Tribunal had legal representation in (a) 2009, (b) 2010 and (c) 2011.

Jonathan Djanogly: The number of claimants represented in employment tribunals for the financial years 2008-09 to 2010-11 is set out in the following table:
	
		
			 Representation of claimants at employments tribunals (1) 
			 Represented by: 2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 
			 Trade union 8,800 12,500 10,000 
			 Lawyers(2) 85,900 161,900 142,700 
			 No information provided(3) 41,300 44,900 40,400 
			 Other representation 15,100 16,700 25,000 
			 Total 151,100 236,100 218,100 
			 (1) This is a snapshot of the information provided by claimants in each financial year, and is comparable to employment tribunal claims accepted, not the number of employment jurisdictions in which a claim was made. (2) Included: representation by solicitors, law centres and trade association. (3) For those individuals representing themselves, there is no need to provide information on representation. Therefore all cases where the representative information was left blank are included here. 
		
	
	This information is published annually as official statistics in the Employment Tribunals and Employment Appeal Tribunal Statistics Report.

Offensive Weapons: Sentencing

Guto Bebb: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many individuals aged 18 years or younger (a) were prosecuted and (b) received custodial sentences for carrying a bladed or pointed article in a public place in North Wales in each year since 2006.

Crispin Blunt: Persons aged 18 and under proceeded against at magistrates courts, found guilty and sentenced to immediate custody at all courts for carrying a blade or pointed article in a public place in North Wales Police Force Area, from 2006 to 2010 (latest available) can be viewed in the table.
	Court proceedings data for 2011 are planned for publication in spring 2012.
	
		
			 Persons aged 18 and under proceeded against at magistrates courts and sentenced to immediate custody at all courts for carrying a blade or pointed article in a public place, North Wales police force area, 2006-10 (1,2,3) 
			 Statute Offence  Proceeded against Found guilty Sentenced Immediate custody Other sentences (4) 
			 Criminal Justice Act 1988, S.139 Having an article with a blade or point in a public place 2006 21 18 18 3 15 
			   2007 17 16 15 2 13 
			   2008 20 17 17 6 11 
			   2009 18 18 17 5 12 
			   2010 14 12 12 1 11 
			 (1) The figures given in the table on court proceedings relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences it is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe. (2) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. (3) The figures presented here have been taken from the Ministry of Justices court proceedings database and are a record of the sentences passed in courts, they will differ from the figures published in the ‘Knife Crime Sentencing—Quarterly brief’ which are drawn from the Police National Computer. (4) Other sentences include: absolute and conditional discharge, fine, community sentences, suspended sentence, otherwise dealt with. Source: Justice Statistics Analytical Services—Ministry of Justice

Personal Injury: Compensation

Iain Stewart: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what estimate he has made of how much income (a) companies, (b) public bodies and (c) trade unions receive in referral fees arising from insurance claims for motor accidents.

Jonathan Djanogly: The Government are banning the payment and receipt of referral fees in personal injury cases, and are taking forward the relevant provisions in the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Bill. An impact assessment was published in October and is available on the Ministry of Justice website.

Prisoners' Release

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many offenders have committed (a) murder, (b) rape, (c) sexual offences and (d) other violent offences after being released from prison early and where those offenders were committed within the period of that offenders' original custodial sentence in each of the last five years.

Crispin Blunt: Legislation requires that most prisoners serving a normal determinate custodial sentence must be released automatically at the halfway point of their sentence. Release at this point is not early as there is no discretion to hold prisoners beyond it; section 244 of the Criminal Justice Act 2003 confers a duty on the Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice to release fixed term prisoners as soon as they have served one-half of the sentence. For those serving 12 months or more, the second half of the sentence is served in the community under licensed supervision and offenders are liable to be recalled to continue serving the sentence in prison if they fail to comply with their licence conditions.
	Two schemes have operated during the past five years that have allowed prisoners to be released earlier than statutorily required at the half-way point of sentence. The Home Detention Curfew (HDC) scheme has operated under legislation since 1999. Prisoners who meet the eligibility criteria and are risk assessed as suitable may be released on HDC up to 135 days before the half-way point of sentence. Table 1 shows the number of proven violent and sexual offences committed by offenders while on HDC for the years 2004-05 to 2008-09, the latest period for which figures are available.
	In the method used to derive these figures an offender is considered to have reoffended if, during their period on HDC, he or she committed an offence that was recorded on the Police National Computer (PNC) as resulting in a caution or conviction; for the offence to count, the caution or conviction has to be given within nine months of the end of the quarter in which the offender started on HDC. For this reason, some offences committed during an HDC period which resulted in a conviction beyond this nine month period do not appear in the table.
	Further details of reoffending while on HDC can be found in Chapter 2.2 of the Compendium of Reoffending Statistics and Analysis, published in November 2010:
	http://www.justice.gov.uk/downloads/publications/statistics-and-data/mojstats/compendium-of-reoffending-statistics-and-analysis.pdf
	To put these figures in context, in the last five years for which data are available 87% of prisoners have completed their period of HDC successfully and only 5% reoffended while on HDC.
	The End of Custody Licence (ECL) was an administrative scheme, introduced as a temporary measure on 29 June 2007. It was withdrawn in March 2010 and the last ECL release was on 9 April 2010. Under ECL, prisoners who met the eligibility criteria serving sentences between four weeks and four years were released under temporary licence for the final 18 days of the custodial element of the sentence. There are no plans to reintroduce ECL.
	Details of proven offending on ECL are unavailable but figures on alleged reoffending on ECL are found in table 2.
	These figures have been drawn from the police's administrative IT system, the police national computer, which, as with any large scale recording system, is subject to possible errors with data entry and processing. The figures are provisional and subject to change as more information is recorded by the police.
	
		
			 Table 1: Proven reoffences committed while on home detention curfew by offence category in England and Wales, 2004-05 to 2008-09 
			 Number of offences 
			 Offence Category 2004-05 2005-06 2006-07 2007-08 2008-09 
			 Violence against the person 47 50 40 60 43 
			 Sexual offences 2 0 0 1 0 
			 Other types of offence 1,484 1,126 782 759 847 
			 All offence 1,533 1,176 822 820 890 
		
	
	
		
			 Table 2: Alleged reoffending by offenders on ECL 
			  Number of alleged offences (by offenders during their period of ECL), as notified to NOMS by  26  April and cumulative totals 
			  1 March to 26 April 2010 1 January to 26 April 2010 1 January to 31 December 2009 1 January- to 31 December 2008 29 June- to 31 December 2007 
			 Number of offenders 17 68 454 497 215 
			 Alleged further offences 22 81 584 658 301 
			 Notes: 1. The total of reasons for recall is not the same as the total number of decisions to recall because offenders can be recalled for more than one reason. 2. Alleged re-offending may lead to recall of the offender even though, at the point of the recall, the offender may not have formally been charged. 3 The offender's behaviour indicates an increased risk of reoffending or harm. 4 The number of offenders notified to NOMS as having allegedly reoffended during their period on ECL. Data Sources and Quality: All of the figures above are as notified to NOMS and may therefore be subject to inaccuracies. There may be recalls, reoffending, further offences, offenders returned to custody, and offenders released not in accordance with the scheme, some of which may not have been notified to us.

War Memorials

Karen Lumley: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what plans his Department has to provide support for the protection and preservation of war memorials.

John Penrose: I have been asked to reply.
	This Department's Memorial Grant Scheme makes grants equivalent to VAT incurred by charities and faith groups in erecting, maintaining or repairing public memorials, including war memorials. Since the start of the scheme in 2005-06, over £1.8 million has been given out to support memorials across the UK.
	English Heritage and the Wolfson Foundation, in association with the War Memorials Trust, provide grants for the repair and conservation of free-standing war memorials in England. These grants help with the upkeep and repair of war memorials. To date, over £757,000 has been offered under the scheme.
	English Heritage has also produced the guidance leaflet, “Advice on Maintenance of War Memorials”, in association with the War Memorials Trust. The guidance is aimed at owners and custodians and gives advice on how to make an assessment of condition. The leaflet is downloadable from the Historic Environment Local Management (HELM) website.
	Over the last 17 years the Heritage Lottery Fund has awarded more than £17.5 million to over 40 projects across the UK that have specifically included the conservation and interpretation of war memorials. These range from small scale repair projects to village war memorials, to larger scale memorial park restoration projects.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Adam Werritty

Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether Ministers in his Department have met Mr Adam Werritty in an official capacity.

David Lidington: No.

Armed Conflict: Children

Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will consider amending the interpretative declaration on the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the involvement of children in armed conflict to prohibit the participation in hostilities of soldiers aged under 18 in any circumstances.

Jeremy Browne: There are currently no plans to amend our interpretative declaration on the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the involvement of children in armed conflict.
	The interpretative declaration is a statement to clarify the Government's understanding of its obligations. We believe that our policies on under-18s are robust and compliant with national and international law. Naturally we will continue to keep them under review.

Departmental Pay

Stephen Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many officials in his Department received a bonus in each year since 2007.

Jeremy Browne: The following numbers of civil servants in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office received non-consolidated performance pay:
	
		
			  Number 
			 2006-07 6,076 
			 2007-08 4,871 
			 2008-09 4,712 
			 2009-10 4,094 
			 2010-11 4,125 
		
	
	Non-consolidated performance pay is focussed on rewarding high levels of performance. It is an integral element of the reward package for staff, has to be re-earned each year and does not add to future pay bill costs.

Departmental Security

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what level of security vetting is required for (a) grade six and seven, or equivalent, press officers and (b) Ministerial private secretaries in his Department.

David Lidington: It would not be appropriate to confirm which specific posts within a Department are the subject of national security vetting. The booklet "HMG Personnel Security Controls", describes the circumstances in which a post may require the holder to be the subject of national security vetting checks, and is publicly available on the Cabinet Office website at:
	www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/resource-library/hmg-personnel-security-controls

Departmental Security

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what level of security vetting is required for (a) special advisers and (b) Ministerial-appointed policy advisers in his Department; and if he will list each person who has held these posts since May 2010.

David Lidington: The booklet, "HMG Personnel Security Controls", describes the circumstances in which a post may require the holder to be the subject of national security vetting checks and is publicly available on the Cabinet Office website at:
	www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/resource-library/hmg-personnel-security-controls
	The names of Special Advisers across all Government Departments are published in a Cabinet Office Quarterly Return available at:
	http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/resource-library/special-adviser-data-releases

Departmental Security

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what company or Government service is used to undertake security vetting at (a) counter terrorist check, (b) security check and (c) developed vetting level in his Department.

David Lidington: All security vetting services for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office are carried out through the Foreign and Commonwealth Office Services (FCOS) Vetting Unit.

Departmental Security

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many people were in possession of a security pass for his main departmental headquarters, including multi-site headquarters and not including staff or contractors, in each month since May 2010.

David Lidington: There are currently 2,388 active temporary security passes issued to non-contractors and others not working permanently in the UK offices of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. The monthly breakdown of temporary passes issued since May 2010 is:
	
		
			  Number 
			 2010  
			 May 117 
			 June 88 
			 July 111 
			 August 96 
			 September 72 
			 October 89 
			 November 103 
			 December 49 
			   
			 2011  
			 January 159 
			 February 218 
			 March 239 
			 April 236 
			 May 4 
			 June 12 
			 July 282 
			 August 315 
			 September 211 
			 October 161

India: EU External Trade

Ian Davidson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his policy is on the free trade agreement being negotiated between the EU and the Indian government containing protections for Indian nationals working in EU member states.

Edward Davey: I have been asked to reply.
	The EU-India Free Trade Agreement is still under negotiation.
	We expect commitments on the entry and stay of Indian nationals supplying services under the agreement to be covered in the Mode 4 element of the agreement. We expect these commitments to contain provisions based on those in the EU services offer in the Doha Round which clarify that all other requirements of EU and member state laws and regulations regarding entry, stay, work and social security measures shall continue to apply. We also expect the agreement to contain a chapter on sustainable development which will address labour standards.

IRG

Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether his Department has awarded any contracts to IRG Ltd.

David Lidington: No.

Macedonia: Politics and Government

Karen Lumley: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with the government of Macedonia on the issue of Albanian separatism.

David Lidington: I have had no recent discussions with the Government of Macedonia in relation to the theme of Albanian separatism. More generally, the UK Government believes that harmonious inter-ethnic relations are essential in delivering security and stability in Macedonia. In that context, I was pleased to send a statement in support of the 10(th) anniversary of the Ohrid Framework Agreement in Macedonia in August this year.

Members: Correspondence

Kevin Brennan: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he plans to reply to the letter of 15 September 2011 from the hon. Member for Cardiff West concerning the oral answer of 14 June 2011, Official Report, column 631, on Libya.

Jeremy Browne: The letter from the hon. Member was transferred to the Welsh Government. A response was issued on 25 October.

PRIME MINISTER

Departmental Public Expenditure

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Prime Minister whether he receives any external funding for (a) his ministerial office and (b) his advisers; and what the (i) source and (ii) amount is of any such funding.

David Cameron: I do not receive external funding for my ministerial office or my official advisers. As a party leader, party staff provide me with political advice.

Financial Services: Taxation

Frank Field: To ask the Prime Minister if he will publish his response to any correspondence received from residents of Birkenhead constituency on implementation of a financial transaction tax following the G20 meeting in November.

David Cameron: My office has received a large amount of correspondence in relation to the G20. It would not be for my office to release copies of correspondence sent direct to my office by members of the public or the replies to them. When constituents write to their Member of Parliament and those letters are then forwarded to my office, a response is sent to the relevant Member.

Lord Young of Graffham

John Robertson: To ask the Prime Minister 
	(1)  on what occasions Lord Young of Graffham has visited 10 Downing street in the last 12 months;
	(2)  what facilities in 10 Downing street Lord Young of Graffham has used in the last 12 months.

David Cameron: Lord Young has recently been appointed as my adviser on enterprise and will therefore visit Downing street accordingly. He had previously been an adviser until November 2010. I refer the hon. Member to the press notice issued by my office on 25 October 2011. This is available on the No. 10 website:
	http://www.number10.gov.uk/news/adviser-appointed

TREASURY

Business: Loans

David Blunkett: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment his Department has made of the change in the level of credit available to businesses in 2011.

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent assessment his Department has made of the effectiveness of the Project Merlin agreement.

Mark Hoban: On 9 February 2011, Official Report, columns 310-13, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, my right hon. Friend the Member for Tatton (Mr Osborne), announced a new commitment by the UK's biggest high street banks on lending expectations and capacity. As part of this commitment, the banks intend to lend £190 billion of new credit to businesses in 2011, up from £179 billion in 2010. If demand exceeds this, the banks will lend more. £76 billion of this lending will be to SMEs. This is a 15% increase on 2010 lending of £66 billion.
	At the half-year point, the banks were broadly on track to meet their overall commitment, having loaned over £100 billion against an implied target of £95 billion. However, the banks were narrowly behind where they should be on lending to SMEs, having loaned over £37 billion against an implied target of £38 billion. The Government will use all of the tools available to them to ensure that the banks live up to their promises.

Child Tax Credit

Ian Austin: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many families in (a) England, (b) the west midlands and (c) Dudley borough are in receipt of the child tax credit family element.

David Gauke: The requested information can be found in the latest HMRC publication ‘Child and Working Tax Credits Statistics: Geographical analyses—April 2011’, available at:
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/personal-tax-credits/cwtc-geog-apr11.pdf
	Data for England, west midlands and Dudley are provided in the following table:
	
		
			 Number of families benefiting from child tax credit family element April 2011 
			 Thousand 
			  Number 
			 England 4,820 
			 West midlands 558 
			 Dudley 31

Convention on Mutual Administrative Assistance in Tax Matters

Madeleine Moon: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps he is taking to encourage other countries to become signatories to the Convention on Mutual Administrative Assistance in Tax Matters; what steps he is taking to encourage an EU-wide agreement for EU extraction companies to publish country-by-country accounts; what steps he is taking with his OECD counterparts to create plans for country-by-country accounts to be extended to all industries; and if he will make a statement.

David Gauke: The Government are promoting the convention on mutual administrative assistance in tax matters in the G20 and other international forums. We encourage all countries to consider joining the convention, which is an important instrument for combating tax evasion and avoidance.
	As I stated in my answer of 1 November 2011, Official Report, column 576W, the Government are engaging with the European Commission and other member states in order to emphasise our support for requirements being placed on EU extractives companies to disclose payments made to governments, matching the standards being set in the US. Work on country-by-country reporting by the OECD task force on tax and development remains ongoing.

Debts: Business

Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what information his Department holds on (a) the number and (b) the value of corporate bonds to be issued in the UK in the next 12 months.

Mark Hoban: HM Treasury does not forecast or hold any information on corporate bonds to be issued in the UK in the future.

Departmental Security

Jon Trickett: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what level of security vetting is required for the post of (a) head of communications, (b) deputy head of communications and (c) head of press office in his Department; and if he will list each person who has held these posts since May 2010;
	(2)  what level of security vetting is required for (a) grade six and seven, or equivalent, press officers and (b) ministerial private secretaries in his Department;
	(3)  what level of security vetting is required for (a) special advisers and (b) ministerial-appointed policy advisers in his Department; and if he will list each person who has held these posts since May 2010.

Chloe Smith: Information relating to the circumstances in which a post may require the holder to be the subject of national security vetting checks is set out in the Cabinet Office document ‘HMG Personnel Security Controls’ which can be accessed online at:
	www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/resource-library/hmg-personnel-security-controls
	It would not be appropriate to confirm which specific posts within a Department were the subject of vetting. This could highlight who within a Department has access to sensitive material and be used for targeting purposes.
	Details of departmental special advisers are published quarterly by the Cabinet Office and can be accessed via:
	http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/resource-library/special-adviser-data-releases

Departmental Security

Jon Trickett: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people were in possession of a security pass for his main Departmental headquarters, including multi-site headquarters and not including staff or contractors, in each month since May 2010.

Chloe Smith: HM Treasury's departmental headquarters, 1 Horse Guards road (1HGR), is part of the Government Offices Great George street (GOGGS) complex. The building is a shared facility. The Cabinet Office occupies space in 1HGR, and the building is physically joined to 100 Parliament street, the headquarters of HM Revenue and Customs. All occupants of the GOGGS complex are issued with the same building photo pass. HM Treasury does not have its own departmental pass.
	The numbers of active security passes currently allowing access to GOGGS are:
	
		
			  Number of live GOGGS photo passes (not including HM Treasury staff or contractors) 
			 HMT sponsored 92 
			 HMRC sponsored 3,568 
			 Cabinet Office sponsored 688 
		
	
	A month by month breakdown of figures is not available.

Telephone Services

Stephen Lloyd: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much funding his Department allocated to each telephone helpline funded by his Department in 2011-12; what the purpose is of each such helpline; and how many calls each helpline received in each of the last five years.

Chloe Smith: HM Treasury currently funds one helpline—the Equitable Life Payment Scheme helpline. This went live in June 2011, and as of 31 October had received 5,265 calls. The purpose of the line is to answer policyholder questions about the Equitable Life Payment Scheme. The running costs of the helpline are included in the broader operational delivery contract of the scheme, and are subject to commercial confidentiality.

Economic Growth

Michael Meacher: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the contribution by the Chancellor of the Exchequer of 12 October 2011, Official Report, columns 366-82, what evidence he considered in concluding that adoption of the five-point plan would (a) increase the deficit by £27 billion and (b) raise interest rates by one per cent.

Chloe Smith: holding answer 21 October 2011
	On 12 October 2011, Official Report, column 370, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, my right hon. Friend the Member for Tatton (Mr Osborne), said:
	“The House is today asked to support an Opposition motion that would add another £20 billion to the structural deficit.”
	The Chancellor considered a range of evidence on the cost of Opposition policies, based on published information and HMRC analysis. This included:
	HMRC estimates that temporarily reducing the rate of VAT for 12 months (from now) would increase the deficit by around £12.4 billion. This is in line with the £12.1 billion estimate of the revenue received in 2011-12 from the rise in the main rate of VAT, as set out in Table 2.1 of Budget 2010.
	Temporarily reducing the rate of VAT on home improvements is estimated to increase the deficit by £2.2 billion, as set out in the answer given on 17 October 2011, Official Report, column 713W.
	HMRC estimates that temporarily reducing employer national insurance contributions for small firms taking on extra workers could increase the deficit by around £1 billion. This figure is based on broad assumptions, including the definition of a ‘small firm’ as one with 10 or fewer employees, and is therefore subject to particular uncertainty.
	The cost of bringing forward capital spending would depend on the specific proposal. The estimate given in the debate reflected an illustrative assumption that the policy would imply no real terms cuts in capital departmental expenditure limits in 2011-12. If this were the case, the increase in the deficit would be £5.5 billion, as set out in Table 2.3 of Budget 2011.
	In the same debate, the Chancellor said:
	“I can give the House new information on what just a 1% rise in interest rates would mean for this country at the moment.”
	Estimates of the effect of higher interest rates on debt interest costs are published by the OBR in the supplementary tables accompanying their Budget forecast. Table 2.18 shows that a 1% rise in gilt yields across the forecast period would raise debt interest costs by £6 billion per year by 2015-16.
	A 1% rise in mortgage interest rates is estimated to raise annual mortgage payments by UK households by around £10 billion. This is based on figures for the stock of outstanding mortgage debt published by the Council of Mortgage Lenders.
	A 1% rise in the rate of return on portfolio UK debt held by foreign residents is estimated to increase net annual interest payments to foreign creditors by around £15 billion, based on Office for National Statistics data.

Excise Duties: Biofuels

Andrea Leadsom: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what discussions his Department has had with the (a) Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and (b) Home Office on the effects of the fuel duty derogation for amateur biofuel producers who manufacture less than 2,500 litres of biodiesel a year;
	(2)  what discussions his Department has had with the Department for Transport regarding the future of the fuel duty differential for sustainable biodiesel.

Chloe Smith: holding answer 12 October 2011
	Treasury officials routinely discuss a range of tax policy issues with their colleagues in other Departments.
	A small producers' biofuel duty exemption was introduced in 2007 and continues to offer effective tax relief to low volume biofuel producers. The Government do ask that low volume producers (producing less than 2,500 litres a year) adhere to record keeping requirements, and accompanying regulations were introduced to help prevent manipulation of the threshold.
	HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) is aware of attempts by a small number of producers to use the 2,500 litre a year registration threshold to avoid paying excise duty on biofuels. Action has been taken to enforce the regulations and prevent any manipulation.
	The 20p per litre duty differential for used cooking oil (UCO) derived biodiesel will end as intended on 31 March 2012. Under changes to the renewable transport fuels obligation (RTFO), additional support for biofuels from waste including used cooking oil is being provided by double counting the contribution they make towards national targets.

Hotel Expenses

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much (a) his Department and (b) each of its agencies spent on hotel expenses incurred (i) in the UK and (ii) abroad in 2010-11.

Chloe Smith: holding answer 21 October 2011
	Staff only book overnight hotel accommodation when absolutely necessary, in line with HM Treasury policy on travel and subsistence. They may either book hotel accommodation through the HM Treasury's hotel provider, or book directly with hotels and claim back the cost at a later date.
	The following table shows the cost of accommodation booked through HM Treasury's hotel provider in 2010-11.
	
		
			 £000 
			  UK Abroad 
			 HM Treasury 34 63 
			 Debt Management Office 2 6 
			 Asset Protection Agency 1 3 
		
	
	The costs above may include meals purchased as part of a hotel booking. Total spending on all hotel expenses could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	Spending on accommodation has declined markedly from 2009-10 levels of £72,000 and £94,000 for the UK and abroad respectively.

Inflation

Iain Wright: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the change in (a) the level of Government spending on benefits and pensions and (b) Government borrowing as a result of the increase in inflation announced on 18 October 2011; and if he will make a statement.

David Gauke: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR), and I have asked the OBR to reply.
	Letter from Robert Chote, dated October 2011
	As Chair of the Office for Budget Responsibility I have been asked to reply to your recent question:
	To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the change in (a) the level of Government spending on benefits and pensions and (b) Government borrowing as a result of the increase in inflation announced on 18 October 2011; and if he will make a statement. 76100
	We will set out estimates of the impact of the September 2011 inflation rate on public sector spending and borrowing in our forthcoming ‘Economic and fiscal outlook (EFO)’ on November 29th. It is not possible to estimate the Impact in isolation from other changes to the forecast as the impact will depend on the overall level of spending on benefits and pensions that we forecast for 2012-13 and future years.
	In the March 2011 EFO we set out the impact of the change in our forecast of inflation since November 2010 on the level of social security benefit and tax credit spending in Tables 4.18 and 4.19 on page 126. We also set out in Box 4.3 on page 144 an explanation of the variety of ways in which inflation can affect the public finances, through both changes to government expenditure and changes to receipts.

Job Creation: Private Sector

Chris Evans: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps the Government is taking to promote job creation in the private sector.

Chloe Smith: At Budget 2011 the Government put in place a wide range of measures to support growth, including:
	Supporting business growth by aiming to create the most competitive tax system in the G20, including cutting corporation tax in April from 28% to 26%, by 2014 it will reach 23% which represents the lowest rate in the G7; and
	Helping to ensure that it always pays to work by increasing the personal allowance by £1,000 in 2011-12.

Tax Allowances: Film

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer for what reason animated films are not eligible for the tax incentives available to feature films.

David Gauke: Animated films are eligible for film tax relief in the same way as any other film.

Tax Havens

David Anderson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps he is taking to reduce tax avoidance through the use of tax havens.

David Gauke: The use of tax havens is one aspect of tax avoidance. To address tax avoidance the Government have set out a strategic approach. This is supported by HMRC's anti-avoidance strategy which puts the emphasis on prevention of avoidance through robust legislation and deterrence, backed up by accurate detection and robust action where avoidance does occur.
	Specific activities undertaken within HMRC's strategy to address avoidance through the use of tax havens include for example obtaining and sharing information on avoidance through membership of the Joint International Tax Shelter Information Centre (JITSIC).
	In addition tax havens often involve attempts at concealment and HMRC has made significant progress in tackling this by obtaining information such as banking details and introducing offshore disclosure initiatives.

Taxation: Football

Bob Russell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  if he will estimate the annual loss in (a) revenues from taxation and (b) National Insurance contributions arising from the use of image rights contracts between professional football clubs and players; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what progress HM Revenue and Customs has made in investigating the effect on revenues from taxation of the use of image rights contracts between professional football clubs and players; and if he will make a statement.

David Gauke: HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) do not hold the specific data referred to on image rights and cannot comment on the tax affairs of particular individuals or employers.
	The normal rules relating to the taxation of employment income apply to payments from sports club employers to all professional sportsmen and sportswomen as employees of their club. Where employment income is paid, income tax and national insurance contributions should be deducted at source under PAYE.
	Some prominent sports stars are able to market their image rights separately using limited companies. HMRC is aware of this practice. HMRC has measures in place to check where necessary that correct distinctions between employment and image rights income are properly observed and that any image rights income is properly taxed on the limited company and any other person who benefits from such an arrangement.

Working Tax Credit

Joan Walley: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he has any plans to remove the qualifying age barrier for working tax credit; and if he will make a statement.

David Gauke: In general, workers without children must be aged over 25 and work 30 hours a week, in order to qualify for the working tax credit. There are exceptions, for example, workers with disabilities qualify at 16 hours. There are no plans to change the age at which people can qualify for the working tax credit.
	However, the new universal credit, introduced over two Parliaments, will replace the current complex system of means-tested working-age benefits with a simple streamlined payment. The universal credit will extend in-work support to groups such as under 25s who cannot get working tax credit currently, which will help to address the concerns the hon. Lady has outlined. The first new claims to universal credit are expected to begin from 2013 and full migration is due in 2017.

CABINET OFFICE

Departmental Procurement

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many contracts his Department has advertised on the Contracts Finder website in each month since May 2010; what the value was of such contracts; what proportion were awarded to (a) third sector organisations and (b) small businesses; and if he will make a statement.

Francis Maude: Details of the contracts the Cabinet Office has advertised on Contracts Finder each month since May 2010 are in the following table:
	
		
			 Month advertised Details of contract Supplier Is supplier an SME or third sector organisation? Value (£) 
			 March 2011 Off the shelf software solution for the automated storage, analysis and reporting of strategic Government contracts MarkLogic Corporation SME 24,000 
			      
			 April 2011 Whitehall social mobility internship programme Social Mobility Foundation SME and TSO 37,913 
			      
			 April 2011 Provision of accelerated solution environment workshops on a pro bono basis CapGemini No Pro bono 
			   Atos Origin No Pro bono 
			   IBM No Pro bono 
			   Sapient Nitro No Pro bono 
			      
			 April 2011 Business Travel Services Contract not yet awarded — — 
			      
			 April 2011 Office supplies Banner Business Services Ltd No 200,000,000 
			   XMA Limited No 200,000,000 
			      
			 May 2011 Medals and insignia framework Spink No (1)1,200,000 
			   Worcestershire Medals Services No (1)— 
			   AB Sporrong No (1)— 
			   Thomas Fattorni No (1)— 
			   The Royal Mint No (1)— 
			   Toye Kenning and Spencer No (1)— 
			      
			 June 2011 Framework agreement for daily and non-daily metered gas supplies and additional services, goods and works Contract not yet awarded — — 
			      
			 July 2011 Verbatim transcription services for the Boundary Commission for England Merrill Legal Services No 93,258 
			      
		
	
	
		
			 July 2011 E-enablement—two externally hosted technical solutions which support the authority in the management of central procurement Contract not yet awarded — — 
			      
			 August 2011 Public Services Network (PSN) connectivity framework Contract not yet awarded — — 
			      
			 September 2011 Public Services Network (PSN) telecommunications services Contract not yet awarded — — 
			 (1) Indicates brace—total estimated value of contract 
		
	
	The contracts for office supplies are call-off contracts for the whole of Government, and therefore the value provided is an estimate.
	The medals and insignia framework has six separate suppliers covering 49 separate lots. The value provided is an estimate for the overall contract.
	As well as contracts advertised on Contracts Finder, the Cabinet Office has published details of a further 19 contracts awarded to small and medium-sized enterprises. These include contracts competed through pre-existing frameworks and therefore the requirement was not originally advertised on Contracts Finder. In total, 21 out of 48 contracts published on Contracts Finder have been awarded to SMEs, which represents 43.75% of total contracts awarded where the details have been published on Contracts Finder.

Departmental Security

Jon Trickett: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office 
	(1)  what level of security vetting is required for the post of (a) head of communications, (b) deputy head of communications and (c) head of press office in his Department; and if he will list each person who has held these posts since May 2010;
	(2)  what level of security vetting is required for (a) grade six and seven, or equivalent, press officers and (b) ministerial private secretaries in his Department;
	(3)  what level of security vetting is required for (a) special advisers and (b) ministerial-appointed policy advisers in his Department; and if he will list each person who has held these posts since May 2010.

Francis Maude: The level of NSV clearance required by a post is not determined by its title or grade but is dependant upon the level and volume of classified information which the post holder handles and the circumstances in which it is seen and accessed.
	A security clearance is time limited and there may be occasions when a post holder possesses a clearance level higher than that needed at that time. The security clearance level required by a post is reviewed regularly by senior management including the departmental security officer.
	Further information on the circumstances in which a post may require the holder to be the subject of National Security Vetting checks is given in a publication produced by the Cabinet Office entitled ‘HMG Personnel Security Controls; advice and guidance for individuals who are subject to HMG recruitment and national security vetting controls, or related enquiries’. This is available on the Cabinet Office website at:
	http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/resource-library/hmg-personnel-security-controls
	It would not be appropriate to confirm which specific posts within a Department are the subject of vetting, as this could highlight those who have access to sensitive material and could be used for targeting purposes.

Departmental Security

Jon Trickett: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many people were in possession of a security pass for his main Departmental headquarters, including multi-site headquarters and not including staff or contractors, in each month since May 2010.

Francis Maude: A total of 724 security passes have been issued for access to the main Cabinet Office London estate to others not including staff or contractors since May 2010. Details are shown in the following table:
	
		
			  Number 
			 2010  
			 May 59 
			 June 32 
			 July 38 
			 Aug 35 
			 Sept 36 
			 Oct 35 
			 Nov 32 
			 Dec 34 
			 Total 301 
			   
			 2011  
			 Jan 45 
			 Feb 35 
			 Mar 39 
			 Apr 52 
			 May 42 
			 June 51 
			 July 46 
			 Aug 30 
			 Sept 53 
			 Oct 30 
			 Total 423 
		
	
	These figures exclude one day visitor passes.
	In addition the Cabinet Office has entered into reciprocal arrangements with some other Departments whereby staff can have unescorted access to each other Departments' headquarters without the need for an additional pass.

Departmental: Security

Jon Trickett: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what level of security vetting is undertaken in respect of civil service or political staff who attend meetings of (a) the Cabinet and (b) Cabinet sub-committees.

Francis Maude: Attendees at meetings of the Cabinet or of its sub-committees must hold the appropriate level of National Security Vetting clearance relevant for the subject matter(s) of those meetings.
	Further information on the security vetting procedures and vetting levels different posts may require is provided in a publication produced by the Cabinet Office entitled ‘HMG Personnel Security Controls; advice and guidance for individuals who are subject to HMG recruitment and national security vetting controls, or related enquiries’. Copies are in the Library of the House and available on the Cabinet Office website at:
	http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/resource-library/hmg-personnel-security-controls

Scandinavia

Angus Robertson: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many official visits have been made by Prime Ministers to (a) Norway, (b) Sweden and (c) Denmark since 1981.

Francis Maude: Information on the Prime Minister's overseas travel costing over £500 from 1997 to 2010 is available at:
	http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/node/871
	Since May 2010, information on all ministerial overseas travel has been published on a quarterly basis and information for the Prime Minister is available at:
	http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/resource-library/ministerial-gifts-hospitality-travel-and-meetings-external-organisations
	Prime Ministers visited each of these countries once in the period between 1981 and May 1997.

HEALTH

Cancer: Drugs

Paul Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he has taken to review the (a) use in the NHS and (b) value for money of (i) bevacizumab (Avastin), (ii) cetuzimab (Erbitux), (iii) lapatinib (Tyverb) and (iv) trastuzumab (Herceptin).

Simon Burns: The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) has published, or is developing, technology appraisal guidance on the clinical and cost-effectiveness of each of these drugs for a number of indications. NICE's guidance is available on its website at:
	www.nice.org.uk
	Information on the use of selected medicines appraised and recommended by NICE in the national health service is published annually by the Health and Social Care Information Centre.
	The latest report includes information on the use of trastuzumab (Herceptin). The report “Use of NICE-appraised medicines in the NHS in England—2009, Experimental statistics” has been placed in the Library and is available at:
	www.ic.nhs.uk/webfiles/publications/007_Primary_Care/niceappmed0910/NICE_bulletin_2009.pdf
	The next report is expected to be published in 2012.
	In addition, the NHS Information Centre for Health and Social Care report, “Hospital Prescribing—England 2010”, contains estimates of the costs of drugs positively appraised by NICE and used in hospitals including cetuximab (Erbitux) and trastuzumab. A copy of the report has been placed in the Library and is available at:
	www.ic.nhs.uk/webfiles/publications/007_Primary_Care/Prescribing/Hospital%20Prescribing%202010/Hospital_prescribing_bulletin_England_2010.pdf

Cancer: Drugs

Paul Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many applications were made to each strategic health authority for (a) bevacizumab (Avastin), (b) cetuximab (Erbitux), (c) lapatinib (Tyverb) and (d) trastuzumab (Herceptin) in the last two years; how many of these applications were (i) accepted and (ii) declined; and what reasons were given for these decisions.

Paul Burstow: We do not hold information on individual applications for cancer drugs funding made to strategic health authorities (SHAs).
	Information on the number of patients(1) in each SHA who have received cancer drugs under the interim cancer drugs funding arrangements in 2010-11 (from October 2010 to February 2011(2)) and under the Cancer Drugs Fund in 2011-12 (to September 2011) is shown in the table.
	
		
			  Bevacizumab Cetuximab Lapatinib Trastuzumab 
			 Strategic health authority 2010-11 October  to  February 2011-12 April to  September 2010-11 October  to  February 2011-12 April to  September 2010-11 October  to  February 2011-12 April to  September 2010-11 October  to  February 2011-12 April to  September 
			 North East 127 263 4 6 15 29 0 0 
			 North West 45 90 28 39 12 30 0 0 
			 Yorkshire and Humber 18 97 15 57 24 50 0 1 
			 East Midlands 50 159 1 18 23 60 1 0 
		
	
	
		
			 West Midlands 97 305 31 47 26 38 0 1 
			 East of England 65 137 32 45 19 25 2 0 
			 London 85 100 54 110 33 20 0 0 
			 South East Coast 63 168 31 103 27 32 0 0 
			 South Central 5 68 12 70 9 33 0 2 
			 South West 28 119 5 39 7 36 0 2 
			 (1) Some individual patients may be double counted where a patient has received more than one drug treatment. (2 )A breakdown of patient numbers by SHA by drug for March 2011 is not available. Source: Information supplied to the Department of Health by SHAs.

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: Health Services

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what consideration his Department has given to national commissioning of treatment for patients diagnosed with myalgic encephalomyelitis.

Paul Burstow: No decisions have been taken on which specific services will be directly commissioned by the NHS Commissioning Board. The Health and Social Care Bill proposes that the NHS Commissioning Board should take responsibility for commissioning specialised services for people with rare conditions from April 2013. Clinical Commissioning Groups will commission most other services on behalf of patients.
	Epidemiological data suggests a population prevalence of chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis (CFS/ME) of at least 0.2 to 0.4%. This means that services for people with CFS/ME are not rare enough to fall within existing specialised commissioning arrangements for rare conditions.

Departmental Security

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what level of security vetting is required for the post of (a) head of communications, (b) deputy head of communications and (c) head of press office in his Department; and if he will list each person who has held these posts since May 2010;
	(2)  what level of security vetting is required for (a) grade six and seven, or equivalent, press officers and (b) ministerial private secretaries in his Department;
	(3)  what level of security vetting is required for (a) special advisers and (b) ministerial-appointed policy advisers in his Department; and if he will list each person who has held these posts since May 2010;
	(4)  what company or Government service is used to undertake security vetting at (a) counter-terrorist check, (b) security check and (c) developed vetting level in his Department.

Simon Burns: Information on vetting can be found in the booklet “HMG Personnel Security Controls” available on the Cabinet Office website at:
	www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/resource-library/hmg-personnel-security-controls
	A copy has been placed in the Library.
	The booklet describes the circumstances in which a post may require the holder to be the subject of national security vetting checks. It would not be appropriate to confirm which specific posts within the Department are the subject of vetting, as this could highlight who has access to sensitive material and be used for targeting purposes.
	The following individuals have held posts in the Communications Directorate since May 2010:
	Head of Communications: Sian Jarvis until September 2011. Post currently vacant; and
	Head of News (press office) and a deputy head of communications: James Sorene (until January 2011); Elisabeth Vanderstock (acting) (to June 2011) and Tim Jones (to date).
	All security vetting for the Department is carried out by Defence Business Services National Security Vetting.

Departmental Security

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people were in possession of a security pass for his main Departmental headquarters, including multi-site headquarters and not including staff or contractors, in each month since May 2010.

Simon Burns: The Department's security policy requires the issue of security passes for anyone who accesses our main headquarters buildings. Swipe card security passes are issued for a prescribed period only after a security application form is completed and is endorsed by an authorised departmental official. Day visitor passes are issued for all visitors to the Department's headquarters premises, these are only valid on the day of issue, and visitors must be signed in by an authorised departmental official. Paper records for passes are only held for six months.
	The Department has recently completed an exercise of reissuing swipe card security passes for its main headquarters buildings in London from June 2011 to September 2011. Information held centrally from this exercise on the number of security passes issued to persons who were not staff or contractors is as follows:
	June 2011 to September 2011—nine security swipe card passes issued.
	Information of the number of day security passes to visitors to our buildings is only held for six months and the monthly breakdown of issue of these since April 2011 is as follows:
	
		
			  Number 
			 April 2011 5,410 
			 May 2011 6,843 
			 June 2011 6,166 
			 July 2011 5,671 
			 August 2011 5,781 
			 September 2011 8,836

Hepatitis: Health Services

Virendra Sharma: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps his Department is taking to improve access to treatment for patients with hepatitis C infection.

Anne Milton: We expect local national health service organisations to take appropriate steps to ensure satisfactory access to treatment for patients infected with hepatitis C. In future, subject to Parliament, the NHS Commissioning Board will be responsible for ensuring that services, including for the treatment of hepatitis C, are commissioned so as to ensure consistency of high quality provision across the country and to address inequalities in access.

IVF

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will instruct all primary care trusts to provide IVF treatment for women if they require it.

Anne Milton: Primary care trusts should be aware of their statutory commissioning responsibilities and the need to base commissioning decisions on clinical evidence and discussions with local general practitioner commissioners, secondary care clinicians and providers. The National Health Service Deputy Chief Executive, David Flory, wrote to primary care trust commissioners on 11 January 2011 to highlight to those involved in commissioning fertility services the importance of having regard to the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence fertility guidelines, including the recommendation that up to three cycles of in vitro fertilisation are offered to eligible couples where the woman is aged between 23 and 39. A copy of the letter has already been placed in the Library.
	Additionally, we support Infertility Network UK—a leading patient support organisation—to develop and promote standardised access criteria and to work in partnership with commissioners to encourage good practice in the provision of fertility services.

NHS: Disclosure of Information

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent steps he has taken to protect whistle-blowers in the NHS from reprisal; and if he will make a statement.

Anne Milton: The Public Interest Disclosure Act 1998 provides protection in law for whistleblowers where they suffer detriment on the part of the employer or where the employer fails to take adequate steps after a concern is raised and the NHS constitution already includes a staff right to healthy and safe working conditions and an environment free from harassment, bullying or violence.
	On 18 October 2011, the Secretary of State for Health, my right hon. Friend the Member for South Cambridgeshire (Mr Lansley), announced steps to highlight within the constitution:
	an expectation that staff should raise concerns at the earliest opportunity;
	a pledge that National Health Service organisations should support staff when raising concerns; and
	clarity around the existing legal right for staff to raise concerns about safety, malpractice or other wrongdoing without suffering any detriment.
	The changes, which follow a public consultation earlier this year, form part of a series of measures surrounding whistleblowing.

Nutrition

Diane Abbott: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 18 October 2011, Official Report, columns 837-38W, on nutrition, whether the evidence underpinning the responsibility deal will be peer-reviewed scientific literature.

Anne Milton: In developing pledges for the responsibility deal the networks consider the available evidence.
	For example, the pledges launched in March 2011 on the removal of trans fats and on salt reduction draw on the evidence which shows a link between high intakes of trans fats and an increased risk of coronary heart disease. Furthermore, the evidence shows a link between high levels of salt intake and increased risk of high blood pressure, which, in turn, significantly increases the chances of having heart disease or a stroke.
	The deal also includes a number of pledges where the evidence is more limited. However, we do not believe that a limited evidence base is a reason not to proceed with pledges that have the potential to benefit public health.
	The Department's Research and Development Directorate is commissioning an independent evaluation of the impact of some elements of the responsibility deal. A team of researchers, commissioned by the Department, are currently assessing evaluation options and in due course will recommend approaches likely to deliver robust findings.

Social Services: Learning Disability

Dan Rogerson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much his Department spent on each category of services for adults with learning disabilities in each year since 2000-01; and how much and what proportion of the (a) adult social care and (b) NHS budget has been spent on people with a learning disability in each year since 2000.

Paul Burstow: Data on national health service expenditure on “learning difficulties” are not available in the format requested.
	The following table shows the total spend on the purchase of “learning difficulties” care by commissioners. The source of the figures are the NHS (England) Summarised Accounts for each year since 2000-01.
	
		
			  NHS Revenue Expenditure: England (1 ) (£000) Total spend on the purchase of “learning difficulties” care by commissioners (£000) Percentage of total NHS expenditure spent on people with “learning difficulties” 
			 2010-11 98,893,979 2,583,433 2.6 
			 2009-10 95,599,430 2,497,197 2.6 
			 2008-09 90,743,681 2,428,036 2.7 
			 2007-08 86,381,965 2,363,451 2.7 
			 2006-07 78,467,927 2,048,645 2.6 
			 2005-06 74,167,512 1,999,137 2.7 
			 2004-05 66,871,420 1,682,349 2.5 
			 2003-04 61,864,664 1,593,718 2.6 
			 2002-03 51,934,596 1,432,443 2.8 
			 2001-02 47,289,280 1,487,492 3.2 
			 2000-01 42,685,992 1,502,552 3.5 
			 (1) Expenditure figures from 1999 to 2000 to 2002-03 are on a Stage 1 resource budgeting basis. Expenditure figures from 2003-04 to 2009-10 are on a Stage 2 resource budgeting basis. Expenditure figures from 2009-10 to 2010-11 are on an aligned basis. Figures from 2003-04 include a technical adjustment for trust depreciation. Notes: 1. These figures cannot be disaggregated further, e.g. by age group or by category of spend. 2. It should be noted that figures are for secondary health care only; we have no information relating to primary health care expenditure on learning difficulties. 
		
	
	A table has been placed in the Library that shows the net current social care expenditure on adults with a learning disability between 2000-01 and 2009-10.

Social Services: Training

Nicola Blackwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 14 September 2011, Official Report, column 1234W, on social services: training, whether funding for the social work bursary will continue to be allocated to students only through grants and without provision for loans in 2012-13.

Paul Burstow: The social work bursary will continue to be granted to students in 2012-13 with no provision for loans. Section 67(4) of the Care Standards Act 2000 does not allow the social work bursary to provide loans.
	In addition to receiving a social work bursary, undergraduate social work students are able to apply to the Students Loan Company for a loan.

EDUCATION

Adoption

Catherine McKinnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education on which aspects of the adoption system the Ministerial Adviser on Adoption (a) has commenced a thematic study to date and (b) expects to commence a thematic study.

Tim Loughton: holding answer 1 November 2011
	I have agreed with Martin Narey, the Ministerial Adviser on Adoption, that he will offer initial advice on the assessment of prospective adopters and on the matching of children with prospective adopters. Decisions on areas for full thematic studies have not yet been made. Initially he has been retained for an holistic look at adoption. The findings from the visits Mr Narey is currently undertaking to local authorities will inform these decisions.

Adoption: Children in Care

Catherine McKinnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what proportion of looked-after children were placed for adoption within 12 months of being identified for adoption by each local authority in England in each of the last five years.

Tim Loughton: holding answer 31 October 2011
	The proportion of looked-after children who were placed for adoption within 12 months of the local authority's decision that the child should be placed for adoption, for each local authority in England for the period 2006 to 2010, is contained in the Statistical First Release, Children Looked After by Local Authorities in England (including adoption and care leavers)–year ending 31 March 2010. This was published on 30 September 2010. The information is given in table 12 under the Excel link “Tables containing Local Authority indicators, at Local Authority level” on the release's web page at:
	http://www.education.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s000960/index.shtml
	A copy of this table has also been placed in the House Libraries.
	This information will be updated for 2011 on 30 November 2011. It will take the form of an additional table (Table LAE2) to follow the recent Statistical Release, Children Looked After by Local Authorities in England (including adoption and care leavers)—year ending 31 March 2011. It will be published at:
	http://www.education.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s001026/index.shtml

Children In Care

Catherine McKinnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what reforms to the care system he is considering as a result of suggestions made to his Department's Tell Tim website.

Tim Loughton: holding answer 1 November 2011
	Many children in care, adopters and foster carers have made valuable suggestions via the Tell Tim website, about how to improve the support provided to looked after children and their carers. These have informed policy development and will continue to do so. The responses as a whole have highlighted the wide variation in the way that local authorities provide services. On 31 October the Department published Children in Care and Adoption Performance tables which show, against 15 key indicators, how each local authority is performing. These data are intended to drive local debate and discussion and to help weaker councils to learn from the best. On the same day the Prime Minister launched a national debate on children in care and adoption. Suggestions received via the Tell Tim website will be considered alongside others received over the next few months as part of this debate. We are continuing to promote the facility through Children in Care Councils, and I am attending several regional meetings to further inform our policy.

Children: Social Services

Catherine McKinnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what his Department's expenditure was on (a) looked-after children and (b) adoption services for each category of spending in England in 2010-11.

Tim Loughton: holding answer 31 October 2011
	Local authorities decide how much to spend on looked after children. The available information on how much was spent by local authorities on (a) looked after children and (b) adoption services for 2009-10 is shown in the following table. The information for 2010-11 is currently being collected and will be available in January 2012 when it will be published as Official Statistics.
	
		
			 Net current expenditure on looked after children and adoption services 
			  £000 
			 Residential care 927,922,460 
			 Fostering services 1,256,187,636 
			 Other children looked after services 172.405,445 
			 Secure accommodation (welfare) 18,188,868 
			 Short breaks (respite) for looked after children 70,862,398 
			 Children placed with family and friends 49,081,297 
			 Advocacy services for children looked after 16,671,529 
			 Education of looked after children 27,431,391 
			 Leaving care support services 210,375,281 
			 Asylum seeker services—children 32,803,487 
			 Unaccompanied asylum children: assessment and care management 67,674,860 
			 Unaccompanied asylum children: accommodation 48,591,528 
			 Total children looked after 2,898,196,180 
			   
			 Adoption services 222,471,201 
			 Special guardianship support 31,471,722 
			 Other children's and families services 97,933,707 
			 Total other children's and families services 351,876,630 
			 Notes: 1. Spend by local authorities in each category. 2. The data are taken from the focal authorities section 251 Outturn statement for 2009-10. 3. The above data used are at 31 March 2011. This data will not match the information published on 6 January 2011 because it was amended by the local authorities. 4. Data are rounded to the nearest pound.

Ministerial Policy Advisers

Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what procedures govern the transfer of special advisers to the civil service in his Department.

Tim Loughton: Appointments to the permanent civil service are made in accordance with the Civil Service Commissioners' recruitment principles:
	http://civilservicecommission.independent.gov.uk/Recruitment/Recruitment_Principles/index.html

Departmental Assets

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what assets with a value of £250,000 or more his Department has bought since May 2010; for what purpose; and if he will make a statement.

Tim Loughton: The Department has not purchased any individual assets over £250,000 since May 2010. However, the following expenditure has occurred for ‘assets under construction' for which projects had previously been commissioned and completed since May 2010.
	
		
			 Assets under construction Brief purpose of asset Expenditure (£000) 
			 eChannels eChannels delivers the Department with a single external delivery capability across multi digital channels. For the end users it gives a single point of access to departmental content and applications that are relevant to the target audience. 1,000 
			    
			 Electronic Document and Record Management System (EDRMS) EDRMS was rolled out across the Department in 2010, as part of a drive to improve how the Department manages and shares information internally while meeting Records Management commitments. The system provides staff with ‘workplaces'—private online areas to store, share and edit documents and declare records. Workplaces ensure that only one version of a document is available at any one time (thus ensuring that narrative and analyses are always ‘live') and provides an automatic version history with a reliable audit trail to track changes. 1,000 
			    
			 St Pauls Place, Sheffield—fit out costs The expenditure related to the internal fit-out of a new building, (an empty shell when bought), prior to occupation by 800 staff. The work was completed by early June 2010. 2,500 
		
	
	In addition to the assets above, there may be some IT equipment which, if bulked up, may exceed the £250,000 limit; these have not been included because individually they are below the Department's capital threshold. To request details from all officials would incur disproportionate costs.

Departmental Manpower

Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many new senior staff have been appointed to his Department since May 2010; and what the qualifications and experience are of such staff.

Tim Loughton: The Department has appointed five employees into the senior civil service (SCS). These appointments into the SCS were made in accordance with the Civil Service Commissioners' recruitment principles:
	http://civilservicecommission.independent.gov.uk/Recruitment/Recruitment_Principles/index.html

Ministerial Meetings

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many meetings he has had with representatives of (a) social enterprises, (b) charities, (c) large private sector businesses and (d) small and medium-sized private sector businesses since May 2010; and if he will make a statement.

Tim Loughton: The Department for Education does not record ministerial meetings by the specific categories of organisation as requested and to provide the detailed information would incur disproportionate cost.
	However, the Department publishes meetings between Ministers and external organisations on the departmental website at the following link:
	http://www.education.gov.uk/aboutdfe/departmentalinformation/transparency/a0065263/ministers-quarterly-returns
	This information is currently available from May 2010 to March 2011 and is published on a quarterly basis. The information for April to June 2011 has been collated and will be published in due course.

Departmental Orders and Regulations

Stephen Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Education 
	(1)  how many (a) statutory instruments, (b) ministerial orders and (c) other pieces of secondary legislation were issued by his Department in (i) 1990, (ii) 1995, (iii) each year since 1999 and (iv) 2011 to date;
	(2)  how many (a) statutory instruments, (b) Ministerial orders and (c) other pieces of secondary legislation were issued by his Department in (i) 1990, (ii) 1995, (iii) each year since 1999 and (iv) 2011 to date.

Tim Loughton: The Department for Education has gained and relinquished functions in the course of a number of machinery of government changes since 1990. Functions relating to children and families were transferred to the Department in 2003. Records held indicate that in the years requested the following numbers of statutory instruments (Regulations and Orders) were issued by the Department for Education and its predecessor Departments. The figures include Orders in Council prepared by the Department but issued by the Privy Council Office (for example in relation to the appointment of statutory office holders, particularly HM Inspectors of schools and children's services):
	
		
			  Number 
			 1990 78 
			 1995 84 
			 1999 231 
			 2000 166 
			 2001 195 
			 2002 172 
			 2003 143 
			 2004 128 
			 2005 155 
			 2006 132 
			 2007 184 
			 2008 127 
			 2009 79 
		
	
	
		
			 2010 110 
			 2011 (to date) 46

Departmental Pay

Stephen Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many civil servants in his Department received a bonus in each year since 2007.

Tim Loughton: Information for non-consolidated performance payments made in the Department and its predecessor, the Department for Children, Schools and Families, since 2007 is set out in the following table:
	
		
			  Department and predecessor Departments Average number of staff on payroll and eligible for a bonus T otal number of staff receiving b onus 
			 2011/12 Department for Education 2,950 651 
			 2010/11 Department for Education (from 12 May 2010) 2,740 1,381 
			 2009/10 Department for Children, Schools and Families (until 11 May 2010) 3,030 1,434 
			 2008/09 Department for Children, Schools and Families 2,821 1,405 
			 2007/08 Department for Education and Skills 2,900 1,235

Departmental Pay

Stephen Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many civil servants in his Department received a pay rise other than by promotion in the last two years; and what the average increase was in each such year.

Tim Loughton: In 2010/11, 2,551 staff received a pay rise covering the last year of a 2008/10 pay deal. The Department then entered a two-year pay freeze in 2011/12. 170 staff on full-time equivalent earnings of under £21,000 a year received a pay rise of £250 in 2011/12.
	The average increase for 2010/11 was £1,404 and £250 for 2011/12.

Recruitment

Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many senior staff of his Department were appointed following the advertising of the post and subsequent shortlisting and interview since May 2010; and whether in respect of any senior appointments such processes were not followed.

Tim Loughton: The Department has made five senior staff appointments over the period for the following positions:
	Director of Communications
	Head of News
	Senior Speechwriters (x 2)
	Chief Executive of the Standards and Testing Agency
	All subsequent shortlisting and interview processes for these posts followed the Civil Service Commissioners' recruitment principles:
	http://civilservicecommission.independent.gov.uk/Recruitment/Recruitment_Principles/index.html

Domestic Violence

Fiona Mactaggart: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what definition of domestic violence his Department uses; and whether there are any qualifications of that definition in respect of particular services and processes for which his Department is responsible.

Tim Loughton: holding answer 27 October 2011
	The definition of domestic violence used by the Department for Education is
	“Any incident of threatening behaviour, violence or abuse (psychological, physical, sexual, financial or emotional) between adults, or young people, who are or have been intimate partners or family members or extended family members, regardless of gender or sexuality”.
	“Working Together to Safeguard Children—A Guide to Inter-Agency Working to Safeguard Children and Promote the Welfare of Children” makes it clear that we consider that children can be victims of domestic violence (directly or indirectly).
	The Government recognise the strong links between safeguarding concerns and domestic violence. All professionals working with or who come into contact with children, including those working in health or education, have a duty to safeguard and promote the welfare of children. If they have reason to believe that a child is at risk from harm as a result of domestic violence, they should follow the same steps to raise this concern as they would for any other child at risk of abuse.

Foster Carers

Catherine McKinnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many and what proportion of local authorities in England have signed up to the Foster Carers' Charter.

Tim Loughton: Figures on the number and proportion of local authorities who have signed up to the Foster Carers’ Charter has not yet been collected centrally as the charter was only launched in March 2011. However, the Government have been working closely with the sector to encourage sign up and we intend to undertake an audit next year.

Legal Opinion

Stephen Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many officials in his Department were working in its legal section in June 2011; and how many staff were working in the legal departments of his Department's agencies and non-departmental bodies.

Tim Loughton: In June 2011, 51 lawyers (41.32 full-time equivalents) and five administrative staff were employed in the Department for Education's legal section.
	In relation to the non-departmental public bodies sponsored by the Department for Education, the Department holds the following information, which is correct as of the first quarter of 2011:
	Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service—seven lawyers and two legal secretaries
	General Teaching Council for England—one lawyer and three paralegals
	Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation—one lawyer
	Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills—six lawyers and two paralegals
	Qualifications and Curriculum Development Agency—three lawyers
	Young People's Learning Agency—one lawyer
	The non-departmental public bodies without legal sections were as follows:
	School Support Staff Negotiating Body
	School Teachers' Review Body
	School Food Trust
	Partnerships for Schools
	Children's Workforce Development Council
	National College for School Leadership
	Office of the Children's Commissioner
	Office of the Schools Adjudicator
	Training and Development Agency for Schools
	British Educational Communications and Technology Agency
	The Department had no Executive agencies in June 2011.

Public Sector

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what steps his Department has taken to encourage the development of public service mutuals in its area of responsibility; and if he will make a statement.

Tim Loughton: We have looked closely at the option to mutualise the provision of IT services across the sector and believe that the idea has considerable merit. We are, however, in the middle of a significant change programme to reform the Department and its arm’s-length bodies to improve effectiveness of delivery and reduce costs. We intend therefore to fully evaluate the mutualisation option once the new sector landscape is in place.

Special Educational Needs: Children in Care

Catherine McKinnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many and what proportion of looked-after children in England have a statement of special educational needs.

Tim Loughton: The number and proportion of looked after children in England who have a statement of special educational needs is contained in the Statistical First Release, Outcomes for Children Looked After by Local Authorities in England, as at 31 March 2010. The information is given in table 4.2 under the Excel link “(England summary tables)” on the release's web page at:
	http://www.education.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s000978/index.shtml
	Information on the special educational needs status of looked after children will be updated in December 2011.

Young People: Unemployment

David Heyes: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many people aged between 16 and 19 years old were not in education, employment or training in Ashton-under-Lyne constituency in each of the last five years.

Tim Loughton: The official national estimates of the number and proportion of young people who are not in education, employment or training (NEET) in England are published by the Department in a Statistical First Release (SFR) each June. However, these are based on sample data for employment and therefore cannot be disaggregated to parliamentary constituency level.
	We can estimate the number and proportion of 16 to 18-year-olds NEET at a sub-national level using data collected by local authorities. The figures for 16 to 18-year-olds who were NEET in each year between 2006/07 and 2010/11, for the Tameside local authority, are shown in the following table. Note that due to methodological differences, estimates for young people NEET based on local authority data tend to be lower than the official estimates for NEET in the SFR.
	
		
			 Number and proportion of 16 to 18-year-olds NEET (actual age) 
			  Average number NEET in the three months November to January (% of 16 to 18 year cohort in brackets) 
			  2006-07 2007-08 2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 
			 Tameside 718 (9.1%) 636 (8.1%) 817 (8.1%) 601 (7.8%) 589 (7.6%) 
			 Note: Figures including 19 year olds are not available. Source: CCIS

Young People: Unemployment

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many people aged between 16 and 19 were not in education, training or employment in Warrington North constituency in each of the last five years.

Tim Loughton: The official national estimates of the number and proportion of young people who are not in education, employment or training (NEET) in England are published by the Department in a Statistical First Release (SFR) each June. However, these are based on sample data for employment and therefore cannot be disaggregated to parliamentary constituency level.
	We can estimate the number and proportion of 16 to 18-year-olds NEET at a sub-national level using data collected by local authorities. The figures for 16 to 18-year-olds who were NEET in each year between 2006/07 and 2010/11, for the Warrington local authority, are shown in the following tables. Note that due to methodological differences, estimates for young people NEET based on local authority data tend to be lower than the official estimates for NEET in the SFR.
	
		
			 Number and proportion of 16 to 18-year-olds NEET (actual age) 
			  Average number NEET in the three months November to January (% of 16 to 18 year cohort in brackets) 
			  2006-07 2007-08 2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 
			 Warrington 452 (7.0%) 372 (5.8%) 445 (7.2%) 356 (5.6%) 334 (5.3%) 
			 Note: Figures for 19 year olds are not available. Source: CCIS

BUSINESS, INNOVATION AND SKILLS

Airports: Economic Situation

Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Transport on the effect of airports policy on economic growth.

Mark Prisk: The Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, the right hon. Member for Twickenham (Vince Cable), and the Secretary of State for Transport, my right hon. Friend the Member for Putney (Justine Greening), together with officials, have regular meetings as part of the process of policy development and delivery to discuss a wide range of issues.

Business: Finance

Julian Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how much funding allocated under the Small Business Research Initiative has been spent to date; how many small and medium-sized companies have been awarded contracts under the scheme; and what marketing his Department has carried out of the scheme.

Mark Prisk: Since the Small Business Research Initiative (SBRI) was relaunched by the Technology Strategy Board in April 2009, 639 contracts to the value of £43.368 million have been placed with business. Of these contracts, 492 (77%) contracts with a total value of £35,258,184 (81 % of contracts placed) have been awarded to small and medium enterprises (SMEs). BIS does not hold data centrally on actual spending under the programme, as the contracts are issued and monitored by the Departments and agencies that have placed the contracts.
	There is currently a cross-Government freeze on marketing; however SBRI is being promoted by the Technology Strategy Board and the public sector organisations using SBRI through a number of different channels, including the web, press notices, knowledge transfer networks, trade associations and other relevant networks, Contract Finder and events run by a range of stakeholders.

Business: Surveys

Brian Binley: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills whether he plans to respond to the findings of the British Chambers of Commerce Workforce Survey: Small Businesses.

Edward Davey: The Department is leading the cross-Government employment law review and is looking at all evidence about the operation of the underpinning legislative framework and burdens on business, including from the British Chambers of Commerce, other business representative groups, trade unions and other stakeholders. A key objective of the review is making it easier for a business to take on staff. The review will also consider ideas that emerge from the Red Tape Challenge aimed at facilitating the recruitment of employees by businesses. The Government do not plan to respond to the British Chambers of Commerce work force survey.

Business: Training

Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will take to steps to facilitate business-to-business mentoring for the purposes of encouraging growth in small and medium-sized enterprises.

Mark Prisk: I am delighted to inform the hon. Member that we are already taking steps to facilitate business-to-business mentoring for the purposes of encouraging growth in small and medium-sized enterprises.
	“Bigger Better Business” set out a vision for a new system of business information and support, including a commitment to develop a network of at least 40,000 experienced business mentors. In July:
	www.Mentorsme.co.uk
	Britain's first online mentoring gateway, was launched by the British Bankers Association (BBA), providing a single point of access for those seeking mentoring and those seeking to be mentors, covering the whole of the UK. Mentorsme now provides access to almost 60 mentoring organisations and 11,000 mentors and this number continues to grow.
	We are also working with the Small Firms Enterprise Development Initiative (SFEDI), mentoring organisations, trade and business representative bodies and private business to encouraging more experienced business people to sign up to mentor new and growing businesses.
	I hope that I can rely on the hon. Member to help us in promoting the benefits of mentoring within his own constituency and encouraging more volunteer business mentors to come forward.

Debit Cards: Fees and Charges

Graeme Morrice: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what discussions he has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on the Government's response to the report by the Office of Fair Trading on card surcharges.

Edward Davey: I can confirm that I have discussed the Government's response to the Office of Fair Trading report on card surcharges with the Financial Secretary to the Treasury, the hon. Member for Fareham (Mr Hoban).
	The Government are considering the Office of Fair Trading's findings and will respond to the report shortly.

Procurement

Julian Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what progress his Department has made in eliminating pre-qualification questionnaires for procurements with a value of under £100,000.

Edward Davey: BIS policy is to use existing frameworks wherever possible. This policy applies to procurements both above and below £100,000. Procurements made under frameworks do not include a pre-qualification stage.
	BIS, in consultation with the Cabinet Office, has significantly streamlined its tendering documentation relating to supplier suitability used in a major current “open”
	Official Journal of the European Union
	(OJEU) procurement.
	This streamlined documentation will serve as the basis for standard processes and documentation, not including use of a pre-qualification questionnaire, for procurements with a value of under £100,000.

Departmental Security

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many people were in possession of a security pass for his main Departmental headquarters, including multi-site headquarters and not including staff or contractors, in each month since May 2010.

Edward Davey: Apart from staff and contractor passes, the only other passes issued are for access to building facilities such as the restaurant. Monthly figures are not available for these, but there are currently a total of 18 issued.

Directors: Disqualification

Gordon Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills whether his Department has assessed the effects on the economy of director disqualifications.

Edward Davey: In 2010/11 the Insolvency Service undertook a qualitative and quantitative evaluation of the economic and other impact of its enforcement activities, including the disqualification of directors.

Directors: Disqualification

Gordon Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills whether his Department has had discussions with the Insolvency Service on the effects on the economy of director disqualifications.

Edward Davey: In August 2010 the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills commissioned the Insolvency Service to undertake an evaluation of its Investigation and Enforcement Services, which included the economic and other impact of director disqualifications. This was completed in June 2011.

Fireworks: Scotland

Graeme Morrice: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will review adequacy of legislative provision governing the sale of fireworks in Scotland.

Edward Davey: I have no plans to do so.

Higher Education: Arts

Harriet Harman: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many applications for admission to arts degree courses universities have received in each of the five years to 2011-12; what proportion of applications for university courses each figure represents; and what estimate he has made of the likely number of applications for arts degree courses in 2012-13.

David Willetts: The following table provides results for all subjects; figures for ‘arts’ courses can be taken from this but will depend on how ‘arts’ is defined. The data in the table are taken from the final end of year UCAS data for 2006 to 2010. Data for 2011-12 are not currently available. The table shows the number of choices by subject group and as is standard in UCAS reporting, the choices refer to those made through the UCAS main scheme only. We have not made an estimate for the likely number of applications for arts degree courses in 2012-13.
	
		
			 Choices by subject group 
			  2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 
			 Subject line Choices % Choices % Choices % Choices % Choices % 
			 Group A Medicine and Dentistry 85,641 3.9 84,794 3.6 82,186 3.7 84,479 3.5 94,801 3.5 
			 Group B Subjects allied to Medicine 189,151 8.5 192,114 8.2 215,647 9.8 247,812 10.4 328,150 12.1 
			 Group C Biological Sciences 182,314 8.2 193,659 8.2 173,308 7.9 185,656 7.8 215,906 7.9 
			 Group D Vet Sci, Ag and related 18,190 0.8 19,273 0.8 19,468 0.9 21,607 0.9 26,006 1.0 
			 Group F Physical Sciences 81,300 3.7 86,585 3.7 77,074 3.5 81,235 3.4 91,697 3.4 
			 Group G Mathematical and Comp Sci 120,645 5.4 123,532 5.2 111,756 5.1 122,817 5.1 136,716 5.0 
			 Group H Engineering 110,015 5.0 117,326 5.0 108,144 4.9 123,027 5.2 134,601 4.9 
			 Group J Technologies 10,255 0.5 11,769 0.5 10,515 0.5 11,536 0.5 12,356 0.5 
			 Group K Architecture, Build and Plan 46,099 2.1 51,596 2.2 49,882 2.3 50,519 2.1 50,120 1.8 
			 Group L Social Studies 183,960 8.3 197,977 8.4 186,107 8.5 205,063 8.6 237,283 8.7 
			 Group M Law 109,382 4.9 115,439 4.9 104,914 4.8 111,085 4.7 117,526 4.3 
			 Group N Business and Admin studies 259,326 11.7 284,960 12.1 265,805 12.1 285,634 12.0 310,221 11.4 
			 Group P Mass Comms and Documentation 49,719 2.2 52,867 2.2 48,177 2.2 53,546 2.2 58,775 2.2 
			 Group Q Linguistics, Classics and related 69,823 3.2 73,707 3.1 66,215 3.0 69,829 2.9 74,329 2.7 
			 Group R European Langs, Lit and related 24,844 1.1 25,598 1.1 23,334 1.1 24,253 1.0 25,373 0.9 
			 Group T Non-European Langs and related 9,125 0.4 9,255 0.4 7,473 0.3 7,758 0.3 8,321 0.3 
			 Group V Hist and Philosophical studies 79,125 3.6 80,635 3.4 73,452 3.3 79,139 3.3 83,895 3.1 
			 Group W Creative Arts and Design 210,505 9.5 232,265 9.9 215,372 9.8 236,077 9.9 287,769 10.6 
			 Group X Education 71,627 3.2 78,142 3.3 72,082 3.3 77,135 3.2 89,828 3.3 
			 Y Combined arts 68,316 3.1 71,944 3.1 62,153 2.8 67,076 2.8 72,658 2.7 
			 Y Combined sciences 31,431 1.4 34,496 1.5 30,287 1.4 33,737 1.4 37,790 1.4 
			 Y Combined social sciences 31,059 1.4 34,781 1.5 31,083 1.4 33,026 1.4 34,896 1.3 
			 Y Sciences combined with social sciences or arts 94,360 4.3 99,400 4.2 89,148 4.1 97,512 4.1 109,031 4.0 
		
	
	
		
			 Y Social sciences combined with arts 60,956 2.8 65,229 2.8 57,754 2.6 61,926 2.6 66,065 2.4 
			 Z General, other combined and unknown 18,266 0.8 17,726 0.8 14,301 0.7 15,931 0.7 16,385 0.6 
			 Grand total 2,215,434 100.0 2,355,069 100.0 2,195,637 100.0 2,387,415 100.0 2,720,498 100.0

London International College

Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps he is taking to investigate complaints that the London International College accepted fees from prospective students and did not return them when it was removed from the UK Border Agency sponsor list.

David Willetts: The London International College is a privately-funded education business and not a statutory, publicly-funded further education college. Such businesses are not required to register with this Department, nor are they inspected by the Government's school and college inspection body, Ofsted. We are not, therefore, able to intervene in the contractual arrangements between prospective students and the college.
	As the college is run as a business, UK local trading standards officers or the consumer rights section of Directgov will be able to offer disappointed students information and advice on ways they could recover the monies owed to them.
	It is unfortunate that some private colleges fail to meet the standards we expect of UK educational institutions. However, the UK Border Agency has introduced new requirements for private colleges that recruit international students which will ensure high standards of education and compliance with immigration procedures, including the requirement for all such colleges to be rated as Highly Trusted.

Ministerial Policy Advisers

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what proportion of the membership of his Department's expert and adviser groups come from each of the (a) nations and (b) regions of the UK.

Mark Prisk: The information is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Regional Growth Fund

Gordon Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills for what reasons he decided not to run a third round of the Regional Growth Fund.

Mark Prisk: No decision has yet been made about a third round of the Regional Growth Fund.

Regional Growth Fund

Gordon Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what estimate he has made of the expected completion date for due diligence for successful bids to the second round of the Regional Growth Fund.

Mark Prisk: Due diligence on the majority of bids is expected to take three to six weeks on average. However, due diligence will not start until the beneficiary is ready with their project, and therefore, it is not possible to estimate a completion date for successful bids to the second round of the Regional Growth Fund.

Regional Growth Fund

Gordon Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what support his Department plans to offer to businesses which were unsuccessful in the most recent round of the Regional Growth Fund.

Mark Prisk: At this time the Department has no plans to offer businesses which were unsuccessful in the most recent bidding round any further funding from the Regional Growth Fund (RGF) as all RGF funding has now been allocated.

Rolling Stock: Procurement

Shabana Mahmood: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what work has been undertaken by the Economic Task Force with (a) Chambers of Commerce and (b) other business groups outside Derbyshire on (i) Bombardier Transportation's and (ii) the wider rail supply chain.

Mark Prisk: The Derby Economic Task Force has instigated a number of activities including work on the rail supply chain. This work is being led by the Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire Chamber of Commerce and includes representation from local business, business representatives, unions and UK Trade & Investment (UKTI). Their first meeting was held on 31 October at which they discussed a number of proposals to support the wider rail supply chain.

Students: Finance

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills pursuant to the answer of 17 October 2011, Official Report, column 759W, on students: finance, on how many occasions he has exercised his discretion to allow a student who has interrupted studies due to illness to continue to receive support from the Student Loans Company despite the student's absence exceeding 60 days in the last five years.

David Willetts: Information on numbers of students interrupting their studies due to illness for a period exceeding 60 days and continuing to receive support from the Student Loans Company is not held by the Department or the Student Loans Company.

Summertime: Religious Practice

Mike Freer: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what assessment his Department has made of the potential effect on the religiously observant of the provisions of the Daylight Saving Bill.

Edward Davey: The Daylight Saving Bill, as the Government intend to seek to amend it, would have no immediate effect. In the first instance it simply requires a review of costs and benefits, to enable all the relevant interests, including those of people who are religiously observant, to be properly assessed and thereafter taken into account if a change is proposed. It is only right that there be a proper examination of the likely effects for people throughout the UK before such a significant change can occur.
	Our initial view is that a change in time could have an adverse impact on the ease with which some individuals may be able to observe their religion; there might be potential economic consequences as well. It is also possible that a change might have benefits for some people who are religiously observant. The matter needs to be studied in depth and I can confirm that the report which would be prepared prior to considering whether there should be a trial advancing the clocks would, among other things, include a review of the likely impact on religious observance. The findings on this issue would be taken fully into account by the Government when considering whether to seek to exercise the power to have a trial. In the event of a trial taking place, the effects of the change, including upon religious observance, would also be monitored and taken into account in the decision on whether or not to make the arrangements permanent.

DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER

Electoral Register

Chris Ruane: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what assessment he has made of the effect of proposals for changes to legislation governing electoral registration on registration levels at the time of the next boundary review.

Mark Harper: The Government are funding research to understand the current state of the electoral register which will help us to better understand the way in which the move to individual electoral registration (IER) will have an impact.
	The Government are committed to maintaining registration rates during the transition to IER. The next boundary review which is due to report in October 2018 will be conducted by reference to the electoral register, due to be published by 1 December 2015.

TRANSPORT

Departmental Allowances

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much members of her departmental management board have claimed in expenses since May 2010.

Norman Baker: The Department publishes the business expenses for the Permanent Secretary, Directors General and non-executive members of the Departmental Board every quarter on its public website. Details can be found at:
	http://www.dft.gov.uk/publications/dft-senior-officials-business-expenses-hospitality/

Departmental Buildings

Eilidh Whiteford: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what (a) building and (b) refurbishment projects her Department plans in (i) the current and (ii) the next financial year; and what the cost will be of each such project.

Norman Baker: The Department for Transport is a federated organisation comprising a central Department (comprising the main headquarters buildings and Accident Investigation Branches) and seven Executive agencies.
	Within the central Department there are no planned refurbishment projects in the current or next financial years.
	Information on the building works planned within the central Department is as follows:
	Some building works is planned to be undertaken at the main departmental headquarters building in order to comply with legal obligations following the exercising of a lease break of part of the building, which will cease to be occupied by the Department from the end of 2012. We estimate that exercising the lease break will save £5 million per year. The cost of the completed phases for this project in 2011-12 is £261,000.
	The Department is also planning to build a new modular office at the Air Accidents Investigation Branch (Farnborough) for completion by 31 March 2012, allowing the Rail Accident Investigation Branch to relocate from Woking and be co-located with the AAIB.
	The future building costs of both projects is commercial in confidence as disclosure would prejudice the commercial interests of the Department.
	There are no other building projects planned for the central Department.
	Information on the building and refurbishment projects planned by Department for Transport Executive agencies is not centrally recorded and this information can be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Procurement

Stewart Hosie: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what contracts of a monetary value of (a) between £100,000 and £500,000, (b) between £500,000 and £1 million, (c) between £1 million and £5 million, (d) between £5 million and £10 million, (e) between £10 million and £50 million, (f) between £50 million and £100 million, (g) between £100 million and £500 million, (h) between £500 million and £1 billion, (i) between £1 billion and £5 billion and (j) over £5 billion her Department and its predecessors have entered into with private suppliers in each year since 1990.

Norman Baker: The Department for Transport was only formed in 2002 and no information is available prior to that date.
	To extract the data in the format requested both the Driving Standards Agency (DSA) and the Driver Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) would breach the disproportional costs threshold as they would have to retrieve data from archived legacy systems.
	All other contracts of a monetary value are shown in the following table:
	
		
			 Business unit Value band 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 Grand total 
			 DFT(c) £l00,000 to £500,000 50 72 41 51 51 43 64 48 22 9 451 
			  £500,000 to £1 million 8 9 5 4 5 12 13 13 2 1 72 
			  £1 million to £5 million 10 7 4 5 6 7 8 9 3 3 62 
			  £5 million to £10 million 0 1 0 1 1 3 0 0 1 0 7 
			  £10 million to £50 million 5 0 0 2 0 3 0 2 0 0 12 
			  £50 million to £100 million 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			  £100 million to £500 million 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			  £500 million to £1 billion 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			  £1 billion to £5 billion 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			  Grand total 73 89 50 63 63 68 85 72 28 13 604 
			              
			 GCDA £100,000 to £500,000 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 2 2 13 
			  £500,000 to £1 million 0 0 I 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 
			  £1 million to £5 million 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			  £5 million to £10 million 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			  £10 million to £50 million 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			  £50 million to £100 million 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			  £100 million to £500 million 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			  £500 million to £1 billion 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			  £1 billion to £5 billion 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			  Grand total 1 1 2 1 1 1 1 2 2 2 14 
			              
			 HA £100,000 to £500,000 56 38 29 45 30 26 18 35 25 11 313 
			  £500,000 to £1 million 32 22 14 14 17 12 12 15 8 10 156 
			  £1 million to £5 million 39 24 21 23 28 15 19 27 21 17 234 
			  £5 million to £10 million 16 8 7 7 4 5 4 7 3 0 61 
			  £10 million to £50 million 13 14 7 9 11 5 5 10 5 3 82 
			  £50 million to £100 million 9 4 2 0 1 2 5 5 1 4 32 
			  £100 million to £500 million 3 3 4 5 3 1 3 7 2 2 34 
			  £500 million to £1 billion 0 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 
			  £1 billion to £5 billion 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 2 
			  Grand total 168 114 85 104 94 66 66 107 66 47 917

Departmental Training

Eilidh Whiteford: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many external training courses staff of her Department attended in the last 12 months; and what the cost to the public purse was of each course.

Norman Baker: The following table lists the number of external training courses attended by staff in the Department for Transport (DFT) between 1 October 2010 to 30 September 2011, and the cost where information is available:
	
		
			 Agency Number of training courses Total cost (£) 
			 Central Department for Transport (1)— 446,600 
			 Driver Vehicle Licensing Agency 146 184,348 
			 Government Car and Despatch Agency 3 7,602 
			 Vehicle Certification Agency (1)— 141,146 
			 Highways Agency 199 251,257 
			 Maritime and Coastguard Agency 129 369,448 
			 Driving Standards Agency 92 159,836 
			 Vehicle and Operator Services Agency 0 0 
			 (1 )Number of courses cannot be obtained without incurring disproportionate costs. 
		
	
	In addition to this, the Department's Transport Learning Group (which is part of the Highways Agency) sources generic learning and development for the whole of DFT. They have run 313 courses over the last 12 months at a total cost of £270,892.

Departmental Travel

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much her Department has spent on first class travel by (a) air, (b) boat and (c) train since May 2010.

Norman Baker: First class rail travel expenditure information for DFT (central) and three of its agencies is contained in the following table. Two agencies, the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency and the Government Car and Despatch Agency, report no first class travel. The two remaining agencies, the Maritime and Coastguard Agency and the Vehicle Certification Agency, do not record class of travel, and the information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	In September 2011, £638 was spent on first class air travel but no other first class air or boat travel was undertaken between May 2010 and September 2011.
	DFT(c) figures include the Rail Accident Investigation Branch from April 2011 onwards. Prior to that date RAIB first class travel was not recorded centrally, and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	
		
			 D F T first class travel, 1 May 2010 to 30 September 2011—Rail 
			 £ 
			  Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q5 August-September 2011 
			 DFTc 54,965 16,319 24,682 19,825 23,123 9,216 
			 DSA 2,580 90 137 136 0 156 
			 DVLA 13,707 0 0 0 0 0 
			 HA 372,498 7,693 1,953 2,673 1,531 1,308 
			 Total 443,750 24,102 26,772 22,634 24,654 10,680

Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency: Disclosure of Information

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent discussions she has had with the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency on the future requirement to pass information to car parking companies as proposed in Clause 56 of the Protection of Freedoms Bill, with particular reference to security risks; and if she will make a statement.

Michael Penning: Private car parking management companies that are members of a Government accredited trade association are already able to request information from the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency to allow alleged parking contraventions to be followed up. Introduction of the Protection of Freedoms Bill will not require changes to the current security arrangements. Consequently, no further discussion with the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency has been necessary.

Heathrow Airport: Security

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when she plans to define the trigger mechanisms for the deployment of tactically enhanced (a) arrivals and (b) departures measures at Heathrow Airport.

Theresa Villiers: The details of the trigger mechanisms for the deployment of tactically enhanced arrival and departure measures as part of the operational freedoms trial at Heathrow airport were published on BAA's website on 1 October and can be found at the following web address:
	http://www.heathrowairport.com/noise

High Speed 2 Railway Line

John Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much will be spent on preparatory work for High Speed 2 in (a) 2011-12 and (b) 2012-13.

Justine Greening: Budget for HS2 Ltd and DFT for the years specified is as follows:
	
		
			 Budget (£ million) 
			  Resource Administration and Programme Capital Total 
			 2011-12 (1)116.1 (1)50 166.1 
			 2012-13 163.3 50 213.3 
			 (1) This reflects the budget allocation and is subject to review in light of actual spend to date.

M1: Repairs and Maintenance

Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when she expects the roadworks on the M1 motorway in the vicinity of junction 11 to be completed, the temporary 50 mph removed and all carriageways re-opened.

Michael Penning: The M1 junction 10 to 13 managed motorway project is currently due to be completed by spring 2013, which is when the motorway will be fully operational and will include hard shoulder running.
	The temporary 50 mph speed restrictions between M1 junctions 10 and 11 will be removed by March 2012, and between junctions 11 and 12 by spring 2013.

M1: Repairs and Maintenance

Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport for what purpose lay-bys are being constructed on the M1 motorway south and north of junction 11; and at what cost.

Michael Penning: The lay-bys being constructed on the M1 south and north of junction 11 are emergency refuge areas. The emergency refuge areas are part of the M1 junction 10 to 13 managed motorway project.
	The emergency refuge areas are for use by the travelling public in an emergency or breakdown when the hard shoulder has been opened during high volumes of traffic, and is being used as an additional running lane.
	Each emergency refuge area costs approximately £200,000 to construct. The M1 junction 10 to 13 project has 30 emergency refuse areas along its length, with a total construction cost of £6 million.

Motor Vehicles: Fuel

Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment her Department has made of the (a) additional fuel consumption and (b) carbon emissions produced by new vehicles since the introduction of the requirement to fit daytime running lights.

Michael Penning: The Department for Transport has made no assessment of changes in fuel consumption and carbon emissions since the introduction of daytime running lamps. Research undertaken for the Department in 2006 indicates that the requirement for new types of motor vehicle to be equipped with dedicated daytime running lamps will result in an increase of about 0.5% in fuel consumption.

Motor Vehicles: Fuel

Debbie Abrahams: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what funding her Department makes available for the retrofitting of motor vehicles to increase fuel efficiency; and if she will make a statement.

Norman Baker: The Government have provided no funding for the retrofitting of motor vehicles to improve fuel efficiency. However, they have made provision of over £400 million for measures to promote the uptake of ultra-low carbon vehicle technologies. These measures include support for consumer incentives, development of recharging infrastructure, and a programme of research, development work and demonstration work. Low emission vehicles are also supported by the tax system. Further details of these programmes can be found at the Office for Low Emission Vehicles website:
	http://www.dft.gov.uk/topics/sustainable/olev/

Motorways: Speed Limits

Nicola Blackwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment she has made of the potential effect of higher speed limits on motorways on the level of (a) fuel consumption and (b) carbon emissions.

Michael Penning: We are assessing all the principal effects of raising the national speed limit on motorways and on some all-purpose trunk roads which are close to motorway standard. Our assessments include estimates of fuel use and carbon emissions. We will include these estimates as part of the documentation for the planned consultation.

Public Transport: Olympic Games 2012

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps she is taking to ensure that industrial action will not disrupt public services during the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Theresa Villiers: The Department for Transport takes an active interest in monitoring industrial relations generally, and especially in the run up to the Games next summer.
	However, disputes are a matter for employers. In relation to the Olympics this means that transport operators, for example London Underground, are in the lead on managing their own employee and industrial relations risks relating to the Games, with Government not playing a direct role in this process.
	Existing legislation requires trade unions contemplating industrial action to ballot their membership and give due notice to the employer. The Department for Transport encourages organisations across the Olympic domain, and the trade unions representing their employees, to resolve any disputes as quickly as possible through negotiation.

Railways

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when her Department plans to establish the (a) Rail System Agency and (b) National Safety Task Force recommended in the McNulty Rail Value For Money Study.

Theresa Villiers: The Department has been working closely with industry and the regulator to examine the proposals in Sir Roy McNulty's independent review of Rail Value for Money.
	Many of the recommendations in the review were aimed at industry, not Government, including recommendations in relation to setting up a Rail Systems Agency and National Safety Task Force. The independent Rail Delivery Group is working on these areas.

Railways

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when her Department plans to establish the Rail Delivery Group with links to cross-industry bodies recommended in the McNulty Rail Value For Money Study.

Theresa Villiers: I refer the hon. Member to my answer to the hon. Member for Hayes and Harlington (John McDonnell) of 14 June 2011, Official Report, column 727W, which sets out the details of the Rail Delivery Group.
	The Rail Delivery Group has been meeting since June 2011.

Railways: Job Creation

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what information her Department holds on the (a) number, (b) type and (c) likely duration of jobs in the UK which will be created by (i) the Intercity Express programme and (ii) Thameslink rolling stock programme.

Theresa Villiers: The staffing composition required to fulfil the named rolling stock contracts is a matter for individual manufacturers to decide.
	However:
	(i) the preferred bidder for the Intercity Express Programme, Agility Trains, have recently confirmed that they expect their new assembly plant in Newton Aycliffe to generate over 700 jobs in the local area, with further opportunities expected in related supply chains;
	(ii) the preferred bidder, Siemens plc with Cross London Trains, have stated that work on the Thameslink rolling stock contract could create up to 2,000 new jobs in the UK, including up to 600 highly skilled roles relating to the manufacture and assembly of components.

Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation

John Woodcock: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when she intends to lay a revised Renewable Transport Fuels Obligation before the House.

Norman Baker: holding answer 25 October 2011
	The Department's consultation on implementing the transport elements of the Renewable Energy Directive (RED) proposed changes to the current Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation (RTFO) to align the scheme with requirements of the RED, as well as a number of changes not required by the RED that will simplify the RTFO scheme. The consultation included a draft amendment Order.
	A summary of responses to that consultation were published on 9 September and is available at:
	http://assets.dft.gov.uk/consultations/dft-2011-05/dft-2001-05-response.pdf
	We will publish the Government's response to the consultation soon, setting out both the plans and timeline for implementation. We then intend to lay before the House an Order which would amend the RTFO with the aim of legislation coming into force on 15 December of this year, subject to the parliamentary process.

Shipping: Safety

Angus MacNeil: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether an external risk assessment has been conducted on proposed changes to the maritime safety regime.

Michael Penning: holding answer 13 October 2011
	An external risk assessment has not been conducted on the proposal for the modernisation of Her Majesty's Coastguard.

Shipping: Safety

Angus MacNeil: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what risk assessment her Department has conducted in relation to the proposed changes to the maritime safety regime; and if she will publish that assessment.

Michael Penning: holding answer 13 October 2011
	The risks that are perceived to be associated with the modernisation of Her Majesty's Coastguard have been assessed. The associated risk assessment documents have been published on the Maritime and Coastguard Agency's website.

ENERGY AND CLIMATE CHANGE

Legal Opinion

Stephen Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many times his Department sought legal advice from external counsel in (a) 2007, (b) 2009, (c) 2010 and (d) the first six months of 2011.

Gregory Barker: The information asked for cannot be given without incurring disproportionate cost.

Legal Opinion

Stephen Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what the cost was of (a) internal and (b) external legal advice commissioned by his Department in the first six months of 2011.

Gregory Barker: This question cannot be answered without incurring disproportionate cost.
	However, the internal cost of the Legal Services Directorate in DECC, in the first six months of the financial year 2011-12, was £2.17 million.

Legal Opinion

Stephen Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many times his Department's legal section provided legal advice to Ministers in (a) 2007, (b) 2009, (c) 2010 and (d) the first six months of 2011.

Gregory Barker: The information asked for cannot be given without incurring disproportionate cost.

Legal Opinion

Stephen Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many officials in his Department were working in its legal section in June 2011; and how many staff were working in the legal departments of his Department's agencies and non-departmental bodies.

Gregory Barker: In June 2011, 51 people were employed in the Legal Services Directorate of the Department of Energy and Climate Change.
	Three people were employed in the legal section of the Coal Authority in June 2011. In the case of the Civil Nuclear Police Authority, two people were employed in its legal section. In relation to the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority, the figure was 10 staff in its legal section in June 2011.
	The above figures include both staff who are lawyers and those who are not lawyers. They also include part-time, as well as full-time, staff.

Legal Opinion

Stephen Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how much his Department spent on (a) legal advice and (b) instructing counsel in (i) 2007, (ii) 2009, (iii) 2010 and (iv) the first six months of 2011; how many times (A) his Department was taken to court and (B) a decision taken by his Department was subject to a judicial review; and what the outcome was of each such (1) case and (2) review.

Gregory Barker: The information asked for cannot be given without incurring disproportionate cost.
	However, some information covering sums above £500 paid directly to certain solicitors' firms and barristers DECC engaged in 2010-11 is available on the DECC website at:
	http://www.decc.gov.uk/en/content/cms/accesstoinform/expenditure/spend_over_500/spendover_500.aspx

Departmental NDPBs

Stephen Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many officials were (a) directly and (b) otherwise employed by non-departmental public bodies for which his Department is responsible (i) in 2000, (ii) in 2005, (iii) in 2007, (iv) in 2010 and (v) on the most recent date for which figures are available.

Gregory Barker: The Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) was created in October 2008. Therefore no figures are available prior to this date.
	There are no civil servants employed by the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority, Civil Nuclear Police Authority, Committee on Climate Change or Coal Authority.
	Full information on the number of people working for non-departmental public bodies for which the Department of Energy and Climate Change are responsible is shown at
	http://www.decc.gov.uk/en/content/cms/accesstoinform/about_decc/about_decc.aspx

Departmental Pay

Stephen Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many civil servants in his Department and the bodies for which he is responsible earned more than (a) £65,000, (b) £95,000, (c) £140,000 and (d) £175,000 in the last year for which figures are available.

Gregory Barker: The number of civil servants in the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) and the bodies for which the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, my right hon. Friend the Member for Eastleigh (Chris Huhne), is responsible, earning more than (a) £65,000, (b) £95,000, (c) £140,000 and (d)  £175,000 as at 31 March 2011 are shown as follows.
	
		
			 Department of Energy and Climate Change Number 
			 (a) More than £65,000 69 
			 (b) More than £95,000 12 
			 (c) More than £140,000 1 
			 (d) More than £175,000 0 
		
	
	The earnings figures used are base salary and do not include any allowances or non consolidated performance related pay.

Internships

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many unpaid and expenses-only internships (a) his Department and (b) each public body for which he is responsible employed in the last 12 months for which figures are available.

Gregory Barker: From 1 November 2010 to 31 October 2011 the Department of Energy and Climate Change had a total of 16 unpaid internships or work experience placements.
	The Nuclear Decommissioning Authority, Coal Authority and the Committee on Climate Change had none. The Civil Nuclear Police Authority have had one in the last 12 months.

Electricity

Esther McVey: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what discussions he has had with electricity generators on the need to retain energy intensive industries as future baseload customers.

Charles Hendry: The Department is working with the Department of Business, Innovation and Skills and HM Treasury to develop a package of measures to assist those energy intensive businesses whose international competitiveness is most affected by our energy and climate change policies in order to reduce the impact of government policy on the cost of electricity for these businesses. We shall announce details of the package before the end of the year.
	We have not held discussions directly with electricity generators on this matter.

Feed-in Tariffs

Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change pursuant to the written ministerial statement of 31 October 2011, on the Feed-In Tariff scheme, what assessment he has made of the effects of his proposed changes on (a) levels of employment in the solar power industry, (b) supply chain opportunities for UK companies and (c) the international competitiveness of the UK solar power industry; and what estimate he has made of the number of businesses affected by his proposals.

Gregory Barker: The Feed-in Tariffs scheme has helped create business and job opportunities in green sectors of the economy. Estimates of the scale of this impact in the future are uncertain because they depend on factors such as how many installations will come forward, installation times and how many associated supply chain jobs are created. Our rough estimates based on installations scenarios suggest that there could be around 1,000 to 10,000 gross additional jobs (full-time equivalent) in this sector in the three years to 2014-15 under the proposals published by DECC for consultation on 31 October. These estimates relate to jobs within the photovoltaics sector, rather than the overall economy- wide employment level.
	The proposed tariffs are intended to provide a rate of return of approximately 4.5-5%, in line with what was intended at the launch of the FITs scheme. By allowing future solar PV uptake at an affordable support level, while still providing attractive rates of return in the current investment climate, FITs will ensure that businesses installing domestic solar PV remain viable at a time when there is spare capacity in the economy which cannot readily be redeployed. These firms will then have the opportunity to position themselves to install some of the energy efficiency measures under the Green Deal/energy company obligation once this policy has been fully introduced (it is currently expected to launch in autumn 2012).
	We have not made an assessment in relation to the international competitiveness of the UK solar power industry.

Feed-in Tariffs

Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change pursuant to the written ministerial statement of 31 October 2011, on the Feed-In Tariff scheme, what discussions he has had with representatives of the solar power industry prior to announcing his proposals.

Gregory Barker: Details of meetings between DECC Ministers and external organisations are published quarterly on the DECC website.
	During the development of our proposals for the Feed-In Tariff Comprehensive Review Phase I Consultation, myself and other Ministers met a number of representatives of the solar power industry.

Natural Gas

Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what assessment his Department has made of the potential contribution of shale gas in meeting energy needs in the next decade; and if he will make a statement.

Charles Hendry: Last year DECC contacted a number of academic institutions, non-governmental organisations and private businesses to request further evidence to help inform the Department's views on the prospects for global unconventional gas production. A range of factors make unconventional gas more costly and harder to access in regions outside of North America.
	Given the uncertainties around when, and the degree to which, unconventional gas will be produced outside North America, DECC continues to take a cautious view of the implications for gas security of supply. We will be monitoring progress closely.
	Looking at domestic potential, a British Geological Survey study in 2010 estimated that if UK shales were similar to those in the USA they could yield some 150 billion cubic metres of gas, equivalent to roughly two years of UK demand. The BGS is currently undertaking more detailed work for the Department which will also take into account the recent drilling results of Cuadrilla in Lancashire. However little drilling has taken place and commercial production of shale gas has not been proven, so it is not yet possible to make a reliable estimate of recoverable reserves.
	Overall therefore it is too early to be able to assess the potential contribution of shale gas in meeting energy needs in the next decade.

COMMUNITIES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Departmental Hospitality

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much his Department spent on hospitality for events hosted by each Minister in his Department in each of the last 12 months.

Bob Neill: Since my last statement to the House on 27 July 2010, Official Report, column 82WS, the Department has spent £2,347. In 2008-09 the Department spent £23,500 and in 2009-10 it spent £9,251.
	A breakdown of spending since 27 July 2010 can be found in the following table. In the interests of transparency, this also includes contributions towards events hosted with, and held at, other Government Departments.
	
		
			  Host Event Venue Number of attendees Hospitality cost (£) 
			 21 September 2010 Rt. Hon. Eric Pickles MP Eid ul-Fitr Reception (co-hosted with the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs and the Secretary of State for the Home Department) Foreign and Commonwealth Office (1)425 (2)400 
			 25 November 2010 Rt. Hon. Eric Pickles MP A reception to celebrate Inter Faith Week Admiralty House 140 1,694.59 
			 21 December 2010 Ministerial Team Christmas thank you reception for senior officials Eland House 100 252.67 
			 (1 )Approx. (2 )DCLG’s share.

Regulation

Gordon Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  what regulations his Department introduced between 1 March 2011 and 31 May 2011; and what the estimated costs of implementation were for those affected in each case;
	(2)  what the name is of each regulatory measure revoked by his Department between 1 March and 31 May 2011; and what estimate he has made of the potential annual saving to those affected by each revocation.

Bob Neill: holding answer 17 June 2011
	On 23 March 2011, Official Report, column 56WS, the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, my right hon. Friend the Member for Brentwood and Ongar (Mr Pickles), revoked the bureaucratic two-tier code (the ‘Handling of workforce matters in contracting and the Code of Practice on workforce matters in local authority service contracts’). Removing this guidance will help create a level playing field, ensure more opportunities for innovation, help ensure better value for taxpayers' money in the provision of public services, and remove red tape that hinders job creation.
	Statutory instruments should not necessarily be viewed as regulations—they are pieces of secondary legislation which ensure policy measures have parliamentary oversight. A list of the statutory instruments which came into force between 1 March 2011 and 31 May 2011 is listed in the following table. I would note that all these 15 statutory instruments either had zero cost, no regulatory cost to the private sector, or had a net regulatory benefit.
	
		
			 SI No SI short title Type Coming into force date Cost 
			 SI 2011 No 255 Rating and Valuation, England—The Non-Domestic Rating and Business Rate Supplements (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2011 Negative 10 March 2011 Zero cost 
			 SI 2011 No 434 Council Tax, England Rating And Valuation, England—The Valuation Tribunal for England, Non-Domestic Rating and Council Tax (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2011 Negative 1 April 2011 Zero cost 
			 SI 2011 No 560 Urban Development—The West Northamptonshire Development Corporation (Planning Functions) (Amendment) Order 2011 Negative 1 April 2011 Zero cost 
			 SI 2011 No 561 Pensions, England And Wales—The Local Government Pension Scheme (Benefits, Membership and Contributions) (Amendment) Regulations 2011 Negative 1 April 2011 No impact on business, charities or voluntary bodies. Possible minor efficiency savings for local government. 
			 SI 2011 No 549 Urban Development—The London Thames Gateway Development Corporation (Planning Functions) (Amendment) Order 2011 Negative 1 April 2011 No impact on business, charities or voluntary bodies. Devolving power to local government. 
			 SI 2011 No 550 Town and Country Planning, England—The Town and Country Planning (Mayor of London) (Amendment) Order 2011 Negative 1 April 2011 Zero cost 
			 SI 2011 No 705 (C.29) Infrastructure Planning—The Planning Act 2008 (Commencement No.6) Order 2011 No Procedure 6 April 2011 This was simply a commencement order to initiate provisions on waste water infrastructure passed earlier on in the Planning Act 2008. 
			 SI 2011 No 817 Local Government, England—The Accounts and Audit (England) Regulations 2011 Negative 31 March 2011 Zero cost. This SI revoked eight associated SIs with an estimated audit fee saving of £0.9 million per annum 
			 SI 2011 No 948 Council Tax, England and Wales—The Council Tax (Discount Disregards) (Amendment) Order 2011 Negative 13 May 2011 Zero cost 
		
	
	
		
			 2011 No. 1002 (C.40) Housing, England—The Housing and Regeneration Act 2008 (Commencement No.8 and Transitional, Transitory and Saving Provisions) Order 2011 No Procedure 30 April 2011 (1)No impact on business, charities or voluntary bodies. Net cost of £387,000 to local authorities, but benefits for mobile home residents which have not been monetised. 
			 2011 No. 1003 Mobile Homes, England—The Mobile Homes Act 1983 (Amendment of Schedule 1 and Consequential Amendments) (England) Order 2011 Affirmative—Completed 30 April 2011 (1)— 
			 2011 No. 1004 Housing, England and Wales—The Housing and Regeneration Act 2008 (Consequential Amendments to the Mobile Home Act 1983) Order 2011 Affirmative—Completed 30 April 2011 (1)— 
			 2011 No. 1005 Mobile Homes, England—The Mobile Homes Act 1983 (Jurisdiction of Residential Property Tribunals) (England) Order 2011 Affirmative—Completed 30 April 2011 The impact assessment estimates a net benefit of £1.2 million. 
			 2011 No. 1006 Mobile Homes, England—The Mobile Homes (Written Statement) (England) Regulations 2011 Negative 30 April 2011 Zero cost 
			 2011 No. 1007 Housing, England—The Residential Property Tribunal Procedures and Fees (England) Regulations 2011 Negative 30 April 2011 Zero cost 
			 (1) Indicates brace 
		
	
	Associated with the mobile homes provisions, four previous statutory instruments were revoked, and were cost neutral.

Telephone Services

Stephen Lloyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much his Department has allocated to each telephone helpline funded by his Department in 2011-12; what the purpose is of each such helpline; and how many calls each helpline received in the last 12 months.

Bob Neill: Currently DCLG does not operate any helplines that cater for specific issues or groups of people. However, the Leasehold Advisory Service (LEASE) provides free advice on the law affecting residential leasehold property in England and Wales.

Training

Eilidh Whiteford: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many external training courses staff of his Department attended in the last 12 months; and what the cost to the public purse was of each course.

Bob Neill: The following table details external training courses staff have attended since April 2011. These data are based on courses booked through the new centralised system introduced in April 2011. Information on courses booked directly, and prior to, April 2011 could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	
		
			 External training course Total cost (£) 
			 Pensions—Transfer Values Course 195.00 
			 Government Statistical Service Induction Course 50.00 
			 Structured Query Language Training Course 1,865.00 
			 Professional Accountancy Skills Course (two attendees) 2,594.00 
			 Database Administration Course 3,000.00 
			 Introductory Course for Lawyers 1,320.00 
			 Introductory Course for Lawyers 1,320.00 
			 Whitehall and Industry Group Senior Leaders Programme 6,500.00 
			 Principal Agent Theory and the Economics of Performance Management 350.00 
			 Negotiations Skills Course 2,260.00 
			 Viability and Renegotiating Course 499.00 
			 Macroeconomics Refresher (three attendees) 2,085.00 
			 National School of Government Legal Training (four attendees) 3,360.00 
			 Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Course 95.00 
			 Analyst Professional Experience Training Course 150.00 
			 Structured Query Language Training Course 695.00 
			 Property Training Event (two attendees) 224.00 
			 Government Statistical Service Statistical Foundations Course 2,000.00 
			 Planning Summer School 934.80 
			 Leadership Development Training (in-house event—numerous attendees) 122.60 
			 Data Management in the Public Sector 275.00 
			 Organisational Development and Effectiveness 1,030.00 
		
	
	
		
			 Social Media and Public Sector Communications Course 335.75 
			 Government Statistical Service—Statistical Foundations Course 1,000.00 
			 Government Statistical Service—Statistical Foundations Course 1,000.00 
			 Internal Audit—Beginners Course 1,237.00 
			 Catalyst Course 1,600.00 
			 Government Statistical Service—Statistical Foundations Course 1,000.00 
			 Government Statistical Service—Statistical Foundations Course 1,000.00 
			 Information Systems Auditing Revision Workshop 495.00 
			 Procurement: Shaping New Law into Developed Advice 269.00 
			 National School of Government—Negotiating Skills Course 740.00 
			 Microeconomics of Public Policy 431.00 
			 Social and Digital Media Course (three attendees) 1,200.00 
			 Public Law Course 50.00 
			 Managing Self Course 135.00 
			 Carbon Conversations Workshop 130.00 
			 Programming—Data Manipulation Course 1,455.00 
			 National School of Government—Industrial Action 95.00 
			 Managing Risk of Financial Loss Workshop 1,500.00 
			 Government Communications Network Introduction to Evaluation 200.00 
		
	
	
		
			 Government Communications Network Introduction to Evaluation 200.00 
			 Data Protection Update Session 195.00 
			 Parliamentary Questions Course 220.00 
			 Total 45,412.15 
		
	
	It is important that specialist staff have the means to maintain and build their continuing professional development (CPD) through attendance at specific external training events. This is necessary to ensure they are recognised as professionals within their field of expertise.

Government Procurement Card

Brandon Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Burton (Andrew Griffiths) of 20 July 2011, Official Report, column 1102W, on the Government Procurement Card, which of the transactions under the heading of (a) restaurants and bars and (b) leisure activities in the Government Procurement Card transaction data of (i) 2006-07 and (ii) 2007-08, were made using cards held by the private office of (A) each Minister in his Department and (B) the permanent secretary.

Bob Neill: The following transactions were made under the heading of “restaurants and bars” and “leisure activities” using cards held by ministerial and the permanent secretary's private offices in this Department in (i) 2006-07 and (ii) 2007-08:
	
		
			 2006-07 
			 Transaction date Merchant Town Spend category Transaction amount (£) 
			 5 April 2006 Zippi London Restaurants and Bars 19.30 
			 6 April 2006 Tantric Jazz Bristol Restaurants and Bars 161.10 
			 12 April 2006 Refreshment Dpt Micros London SW1P Restaurants and Bars 18.25 
			 19 April 2006 Refreshment Dpt Micros London SW1P Restaurants and Bars 18.00 
			 24 April 2006 The National Club Toronto Restaurants and Bars 336.76 
			 16 June 2006 House of Lords Refr Dept Westminster Restaurants and Bars 104.35 
			 19 June 2006 Aqua Riva Restaurant Vancouver Restaurants and Bars 38.13 
			 6 July 2006 Oceanarium Café Bournemouth Leisure Activities 7.09 
			 6 July 2006 Red Eventful Cuisine Bournemouth Restaurants and Bars 11.00 
			 6 July 2006 Red Eventful Cuisine Bournemouth Restaurants and Bars 4.60 
			 22 August 2006 Oriental Buffet Restaurant Burnley Restaurants and Bars 24.90 
			 21 September 2006 Rothley Court Hotel Rothley Restaurants and Bars 223.15 
			 6 October 2006 The White Hart Inn Oldham Restaurants and Bars 203.80 
			 6 October 2006 Elite Ravintola Helsinki Restaurants and Bars 204.87 
			 13 October 2006 Refreshment Dpt Micros London SW1P Restaurants and Bars 269.40 
			 13 October 2006 House of Lords Refr Department Westminster Restaurants and Bars 47.95 
			 15 October 2006 JW Marriott Hotel Shanghai Shanghai Restaurants and Bars 3.86 
			 23 November 2006 Starbucks Coffee Co London Restaurants and Bars 2.89 
			 26 November 2006 Pasta Pizza Bel Canto 39 Madrid Restaurants and Bars 11.51 
			 4 December 2006 Mango Tree London Restaurants and Bars 175.00 
			 17 January 2007 The Cinnamon Club London Restaurants and Bars 84.00 
			 31 January 2007 Wetherspoon Express Stansted Restaurants and Bars 2.80 
			 16 February 2007 The Plough Inn Lancaster Restaurants and Bars 17.00 
			 22 February 2007 Mango Tree London Restaurants and Bars -175.00 
			 9 March 2007 Ask Pasta and Pizza London SW1E Restaurants and Bars 23.75 
			 26 March 2007 Refreshment Dpt Micros London SW1P Restaurants and Bars 249.90 
			 29 March 2007 Wagamama Victoria London Restaurants and Bars 118.85 
		
	
	
		
			 29 March 2007 Gruppo Inn The Parks Ltd London SW1A Restaurants and Bars 59.29 
			 30 March 2007 Buffalo Bar & Grill Auckland Restaurants and Bars 36.39 
			 30 March 2007 Sky City AK Ltd Auckland Restaurants and Bars 72.41 
		
	
	
		
			 2007-08 
			 Transaction date Merchant Town Spend category Transaction amount (£) 
			 10 April 2007 Pizza Express 1341 Victoria 1 Restaurants and Bars 30.95 
			 27 April 2007 Refreshment Dpt Micros London SW1P Restaurants and Bars 29.50 
			 20 May 2007 Ground London W4 6551 Restaurants and Bars 21.95 
			 21 May 2007 Wagamama Victoria London Restaurants and Bars 33.65 
			 24 May 2007 Ask Pasta and Pizza London SW1E Restaurants and Bars 47.85 
			 22 June 2007 Wagamama Victoria Victoria Restaurants and Bars 50.00 
			 28 June 2007 Deliverance Ltd London W12 Restaurants and Bars 17.90 
			 28 June 2007 Deliverance Ltd London W12 Restaurants and Bars 10.45 
			 28 June 2007 Deliverance Ltd London W12 Restaurants and Bars 145.85 
			 28 June 2007 Pizza Express 1341 Victoria 1 Restaurants and Bars 36.50 
			 29 June 2007 Pizza Express 1341 Victoria 1 Restaurants and Bars 111.65 
			 4 July 2007 Pizza Express 1341 Victoria 1 Restaurants and Bars 23.70 
			 17 July 2007 Zizzi BR783 Victoria Restaurants and Bars 53.55 
			 19 July 2007 Zizzi BR783 Victoria Restaurants and Bars 31.60 
			 20 July 2007 Pizza Express 1341 Victoria 1 Restaurants and Bars 58.75 
			 21 July 2007 Starbucks Coffee Co Abbotinch Restaurants and Bars 3.90 
			 7 August 2007 Pitcher & Piano Newcastle Restaurants and Bars 11.90 
			 16 August 2007 White Horse Abingdon Restaurants and Bars 18.35 
			 12 September 2007 Pizza Express 1341 Victoria 1 Restaurants and Bars 33.30 
			 11 October 2007 Pizza Express 1341 Victoria 1 Restaurants and Bars 32.20 
			 22 October 2007 Akbar Balti Restaurant Bradford Restaurants and Bars 39.00 
			 1 November 2007 Costa @ GNER Doncaster Restaurants and Bars 6.55 
			 9 January 2008 Zizzi BR783 Victoria Restaurants and Bars 16.70 
			 27 January 2008 Ritazza Euston Stn Restaurants and Bars 3.10 
			 13 February 2008 Old Star City of Westminster Restaurants and Bars 93.00 
			 20 February 2008 Wagamama Victoria Victoria Restaurants and Bars 63.40 
			 27 February 2008 Costa Waterloo London SE1 Restaurants and Bars 3.05 
			 11 March 2008 Refreshment Dpt Micros London SW1P Restaurants and Bars 61.25 
			 12 March 2008 Refreshment Dpt Micros London SW1P Restaurants and Bars 19.80 
			 13 March 2008 Cafe Gramunken Stockholm Restaurants and Bars 7.63 
			 19 March 2008 Refreshment Dpt Micros London SW1P Restaurants and Bars 9.00 
			 31 March 2008 Wagamama Victoria Victoria Restaurants and Bars 23.45 
		
	
	The Government Procurement Card spend categories depend on how the vendor classifies their business.

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Departmental Lost Property

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development whether his Department has lost any (a) computers, (b) mobile telephones, (c) BlackBerrys and (d) other IT equipment since May 2010; and if he will make a statement.

Alan Duncan: The Department for International Development has had 28 computers, four mobile phones, five BlackBerrys and four memory sticks that have been lost or stolen since May 2010. No other IT equipment has been lost.

Internships

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many unpaid and expenses-only internships (a) his Department and (b) each public body for which he is responsible employed in the last 12 months for which figures are available.

Alan Duncan: The Department for International Development does not run a formal internship programme but some individual arrangements are organised by departments; figures are not held centrally.
	DFID provided three placements for the Civil Service Whitehall Internship Programme. This programme involved a two-week placement in London for sixth form college level students which took place from 25 July to 5 August 2011.

Developing Countries: Disability

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development which of his Department's country programmes specifically tackle exclusion of children with disabilities from education.

Alan Duncan: The coalition Government are committed to the inclusion of disabled people in development. Following a root and branch review of all of the UK's aid spending, we recently published our priorities for the next four years in the document “UK Aid: Changing Lives, Delivering Results” which can be found on the DFID website at:
	www.dfid.gov.uk
	The document sets out how aid spending will be prioritised for programmes that ensure all children have access to education and which recognise the rights of children with disabilities.
	For example, DFID supports Nepal's national education programme, known as the Schools Sector Reform Programme. This aims to improve enrolment and attendance in school for children with disabilities through measures such as the provision of targeted scholarships to disabled girls and the construction of schools for children with special needs.

Developing Countries: Renewable Energy

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what his policy is on supporting renewable energy feed-in tariff pilots in developing countries.

Andrew Mitchell: Feed-in tariffs can play a useful part in increasing the access of poor people to clean energy in developing countries. Due to the wide range of contexts in which we operate, the Department for International Development designs renewable energy projects on a case by case basis. This enables us to maximise value for money and the results they deliver for the poorest.
	We are willing to consider requests for support for designing and piloting feed-in tariffs in the countries in which we work.

Developing Countries: Teachers

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what projects his Department supports to increase the representation of women in the teaching workforce in low income countries in (a) rural and (b) other areas.

Andrew Mitchell: Girls and women are at the heart of the coalition Government's development agenda. All UK bilateral education programmes have a specific focus on girls' education as part of their wider programme of education sector support. This includes support for female teachers in rural areas where the recruitment and retention of female teachers is particularly an issue.
	In Nigeria, the Girls Education Project will train over 700 female teachers in rural areas. The project is being implemented in northern states, in areas where there are almost no female teachers at present. More information on our projects can be found on the DFID project database website:
	http://projects.dfid.gov.uk/

Ethiopia: Overseas Aid

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much of the aid his Department provides to Ethiopia is distributed via (a) the Ethiopian Government and (b) non-governmental organisations in that country; and if he will make a statement.

Andrew Mitchell: The UK does not provide general budget support to the Government of Ethiopia. The UK's support to the Government is ring fenced for use by local government and sector ministries in support of health, education, water, food security and public financial management programmes. Around 6% of the UK's aid for Ethiopia in 2010-11 was provided to non-governmental organisations (NGOs). The remainder was disbursed to the United Nations, World Bank and other organisations that deliver development results through NGOs and the Government.
	With the support of these complementary funding approaches from the UK, in the past few years Ethiopia has: halved the incidence of malaria; deployed 32,000 more health extension workers; doubled the immunisation rate; rolled out an innovative social safety net to protect eight million of the most vulnerable people; and put 4 million more children in primary school.

Ethiopia: Politics and Government

Chris Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent assessment he has made of the humanitarian situation in Ethiopia.

Andrew Mitchell: According to the Government of Ethiopia, 4.56 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance countrywide. Rains have now started in most of the drought-affected areas. This will bring some relief to farmers and pastoralists but also increases the risk of disease outbreaks.
	A new humanitarian assessment is planned for November. We expect that the overall number of people in need will reduce in 2012 as a favourable harvest in the highlands will help to stabilise food prices and improve availability. However, in the drought-affected south-eastern lowlands it will take communities at least two years to recover. We are particularly concerned about the situation in the conflict-affected Somali Region of Ethiopia, where insecurity makes it difficult to provide assistance to over 1 million people in need. We are addressing these issues with the Ethiopian authorities.
	There are also 250,000 refugees in Ethiopia. According to the UN refugee agency UNHCR, over 90,000 Somali refugees have arrived since the beginning of the year, fleeing drought and conflict in their own country. A further 28,000 have arrived from Sudan since September, fleeing the continuing conflict in Blue Nile State.
	This year, the UK has provided emergency food aid to over 2.4 million drought-affected Ethiopians. In addition, we are currently providing treatment for over 100,000 malnourished children and pregnant and breastfeeding mothers, clean water and sanitation for over 420,000 people, seeds and fertilizer for over 26,000 families, and animal health care for over 9,000 families. We have also provided emergency shelter, water and essential items for over 125,000 Somali refugees.
	To break the cycle of drought and crisis, we also support programmes to build resilience of drought-affected communities, including the national safety net programme that provides cash and food in exchange for work to nearly 8 million people vulnerable people.

Foreign Aid

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what priorities he has set for the Fourth High Level Forum on Aid Effectiveness in respect of improving aid effectiveness in conflict-affected and fragile states.

Andrew Mitchell: Improving aid effectiveness in fragile and conflict affected states is a high priority for the UK at the Fourth High Level Forum. The UK's other priorities are to improve results and transparency of development assistance as a means to improve aid impact.
	The UK strongly supports the so-called ‘New Deal' for international engagement in fragile states which will be presented at the High Level Forum. The New Deal is still under negotiation but comprises a set of new goals and commitments to deliver legitimate, inclusive politics and build better security, justice and economic foundations. The New Deal is being negotiated by fragile states themselves working in partnership with donors and civil society.
	The outcome document is at its third draft stage. The UK continues to push for a strong outcome document focusing on the UK priorities of a new deal for fragile and conflict affected states, results and transparency.

Foreign Aid

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment he has made of the commitments on aid effectiveness in conflict-affected and fragile states in the third draft outcome document for the Fourth High Level Forum on Aid Effectiveness.

Andrew Mitchell: Improving aid effectiveness in fragile and conflict affected states is a high priority for the UK at the Fourth High Level Forum. The UK's other priorities are to improve results and transparency of development assistance as a means to improve aid impact.
	The UK strongly supports the so-called ‘New Deal' for international engagement in fragile states which will be presented at the High Level Forum. The New Deal is still under negotiation but comprises a set of new goals and commitments to deliver legitimate, inclusive politics and build better security, justice and economic foundations. The New Deal is being negotiated by fragile states themselves working in partnership with donors and civil society.
	The outcome document is at its third draft stage. The UK continues to push for a strong outcome document focusing on the UK priorities of a new deal for fragile and conflict affected states, results and transparency.

Human Rights: Training

Anas Sarwar: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what training in human rights officials of his Department receive; and whether the rights of children forms a component of such training.

Alan Duncan: All DFID staff are expected to have a basic awareness of issues in human rights. Some advisory groups in DFID, such as those for social development and governance, build deeper knowledge, skills and experience in human rights, including children's rights. DFID supports the professional development of staff through access to a range of value for money courses and opportunities. Training is currently provided through an online e-learning course on human rights that supports staff to analyse and use human rights information and apply it to their work. It also ensures that staff are aware of legal obligations and responsibilities under the UK Human Rights Act 1998.

International Assistance

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps he is taking to encourage donors such as (a) the World Bank and (b) other donors to give aid for social objectives as grants rather than loans.

Andrew Mitchell: The UK Government's policy is that the terms on which financial assistance is provided should be determined by what a developing country can afford, rather than how it chooses to use these resources independent of the source of funding. The World Bank only lends money to those countries who can repay the loan. For low income countries, lending is provided on highly concessional terms through a dedicated arm of the World Bank, the International Development Association (IDA). For the poorest most indebted countries, such as Yemen and Burkina Faso, IDA funding is provided as grants. I am encouraging other donors to meet their aid commitments and to spend their resources to meet poor country demands in line with international guidelines.

Legal Opinion

Stephen Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many times his Department has sought advice from external counsel in (a) 2007, (b) 2009, (c) 2010 and (d) the first six months of 2011.

Stephen O'Brien: That information is set out in the following table and reports how many invoices for counsel's fees the Treasury Solicitor’s Department received in respect of cases where DFID was the client. It also gives the sum of the value of those invoices. It is reported by reference to the financial years when the invoices for counsel's fees were issued (please note I have included 2008-09 even though it was not listed in the question).
	
		
			 DFID Count of invoices Sum of value (£) 
			 2007-08 1 658 
			 2008-09 7 6,979 
			 2009-10 12 9,477 
		
	
	
		
			 2010-11 11 15,546 
			 2011(1) 8 7,910 
			 Grand total 39 40,570 
			 (1) To September 2011 
		
	
	Further, I can report that the 39 invoices related to 11 cases.

Overseas Aid

Philip Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what the three richest countries are to which his Department provides development aid; and whether he plans to reduce the level of assistance provided to those countries.

Andrew Mitchell: In 2010-11, the latest year for which information is available, the three countries in receipt of development assistance from DFID with the highest gross national income per capita were Russia (DFID funding of £1.3 million in 2010-11), Brazil (£0.2 million) and South Africa (£17.4 million). The UK's bilateral development programme in Russia will end as soon as possible. DFID does not currently have a dedicated bilateral programme in Brazil. From 2009 onwards, DFID's Brazil related expenditure has primarily been used to promote a stronger role for Brazil in addressing global development challenges. Of these three countries, South Africa is the only country with a continuing bilateral development programme. South Africa faces substantial development challenges with 13 million people surviving on less than £1 per day and nearly one in five of the adult population living with HIV. A distinctive British bilateral aid programme focused on HIV and support of private sector development as an engine for growth can make a significant impact. More details on the top priorities and results to be achieved in South Africa can be found at:
	http://www.dfid.gov.uk/Where-we-work/Africa-Eastern--Southern/South-Africa/

Overseas Aid

Anas Sarwar: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what in-country situation analyses were conducted as part of the process of developing his Department's operational plans.

Alan Duncan: In-country situation analyses for operational plans were conducted by DFID's country offices as part of the Bilateral Aid review process in 2010. Each of our country teams was asked to develop a “results offer” which set out what outcomes they could achieve over the next four years. These offers were underpinned by evidence and analysis of the situation in each country. Agreed results formed the basis of the operational plans.

Overseas Aid: Children

Anas Sarwar: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what proportion of his Department's aid budget has been spent on children or child-related areas in each year between 2008 and 2011.

Alan Duncan: Department for International Development expenditure information is not collected by beneficiary group but by sector such as education. The spend on education from 2008-09 to 2010-11 was:
	
		
			  £ million 
			 2008-09 451 
			 2009-10 395 
			 2010-11 561 
		
	
	Statistics on DFID's aid programme can be found in the National Statistics publication “Statistics on International Development”, published on the DFID website at the following link:
	http://www.dfid.gov.uk/About-us/How-we-measure-progress/Aid-Statistics/Statistics-on-International-Development-2011/
	This provides information on spend by sector but no sector consists wholly of expenditure on children.

Overseas Aid: Children

Anas Sarwar: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development whether his Department has a child protection policy.

Alan Duncan: DFID does not have a dedicated child protection policy. However, the coalition Government are strongly committed to working towards children achieving their full potential, as expressed in the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.
	The convention is a powerful tool for engaging with Governments, donors and others on the rights of children and the millennium development goals. We also support the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (UNHCHR) and the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) who work in over 190 countries in the world to support vulnerable children.

Somalia: Overseas Aid

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much his Department has spent (a) on humanitarian relief for people in and from Somalia and (b) in total in Somalia in (i) the current financial year to date and (ii) in each of the last three financial years.

Andrew Mitchell: During the current crisis, results achieved to date through UK aid for people in and from Somalia include: provision of food for 247,000 people; 490,000 children vaccinated against measles; safe drinking water for 300,000 Somali refugees; tents for 20,000 households in Dadaab Camp in Kenya; shelter and essential household items such as blankets and cooking utensils for 40,000 Somali refugees in Ethiopia. In the current financial year, my Department has spent £74 million on humanitarian relief for Somalis.
	During the last three financial years, results achieved include treatment of 100,000 starving children and pregnant and breastfeeding mothers; provision of clean water to 350,000 people; provision of shelter for 50,000 internally displaced people; and 1.3 million children and women vaccinated. The Department for International Development spent £80 million on humanitarian assistance: £29.9 million in 2010; £31.9 million in 2009 and £18.3 million in 2008. The Department has also provided support for Somali refugees through funding to the United Nations' High Commissioner for Refugees as part of their wider programmes in Kenya and Ethiopia.
	So far during the current financial year, some of the results achieved through other aid to Somalia include: an increase in child-birth deliveries attended to by skilled attendants from 9% to 13%; eight peace agreements averting inter-communal and cross-border conflicts, with over 10,000 people benefiting from improved access to services and reduction in civilian casualties; creation of over 200,000 long-term jobs and provision of demand-driven training to 5,700 youth, of which 60% were women. The Department for International Development has so far spent £59 million in aid to Somalia the current financial year. The initial approved operational plan budget for Somalia was £44 million. On current projections, the Department expects to spend at least £84.5 million in total this financial year, including humanitarian allocations made in the year. The additional allocations were made in response to the deteriorating humanitarian situation and enhanced needs because of the drought, high food prices and ongoing conflict.
	Over the last three financial years, my Department spent £47.5 million in 2010, £55 million in 2009 and £35.6 million in 2008 as aid to Somalia. See link:
	http://www.dfid.gov.uk/About-us/How-we-measure-progress/Aid-Statistics/Statistics-on-International-Development-2011/

Yemen

Mike Gapes: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what (a) material and (b) technical support his Department provided to the Yemeni Government in each of the last five years.

Alan Duncan: I have placed in the House of Commons Library a table that sets out (a) material and (b) technical support provided by the Department for International Development to the Yemeni Government in each of the last five years. We have interpreted support broadly and included instances where the Government of Yemen was an indirect or eventual beneficiary.
	Full details of DFID's programmes which were active from August 2009 onwards are published on the DFID website
	www.dfid.gov.uk
	DFID does not provide funding directly to the Government of Yemen.

LEADER OF THE HOUSE

e-Petitions

Robert Halfon: To ask the Leader of the House what recent assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the Government's e-petition system; and if he will make a statement.

David Heath: The e-petitions site currently hosts more than 7,000 e-petitions sharing more than 2 million signatures.
	I would like to congratulate the hon. Member for starting what was the third e-petition to pass the 100,000 signature threshold, and hope that he agrees with me that this is just one way in which the effectiveness of the site has been demonstrated.